Antibody production and development of a polarization fluoroimmunoassay for the herbicide triclopyr

This paper describes a homogeneous and competitive fluoroimmunoassay of pol arization for the detection and quantification of the herbicide [(3,5,6-tri chloro-2-pyridinyl)oxyl acetic acid (triclopyr). Antibodies against triclop yr were produced by immunizing a rabbit with triclopyr-bovine serum albumin (BSA) conjugates. The fluoresceinamine labeled triclopyr were obtained, ch aracterized and isolated. Two standard curves were obtained, one with a linear dynamic range (LDR) be tween 0.86 and 100 mug ml(-1) of triclopyr and the other for lower concentr ations (0.0007-100 mug ml(-1)). The minimum detectable concentration (MDC) was 0.7 ng ml(-1) and the relative standard deviation (R.S.D.) was 1.96% (a verage value of three concentrations of the curve for n = 8). The assay of specificity of the antiserum was developed using other molecules structural ly very similar or usually found in formulations. The assay was very specif ic for triclopyr with respect to the other molecules tested. The technique provides good sensitivity, specificity, precision and MDC. This method was applied to triclopyr previously added to tap water and the recoveries obtai ned were between 97.9 and 130%. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights r eserved.