Charm Antibiotic Tests for Feed and Grain
Antibiotics are a vital component of treatment and elimination of disease in food producing animals. However, feeding animals grain treated with antibiotics to prevent illness and promote animal health has become an issue of great debate as some believe these types of preventive measures contribute to the growing problem of antibiotic resistance. Antibiotics in feed can also lead to a problem of antibiotics entering the local groundwater through animal manure.

Animal producers and feedlots may not always be aware that they are giving animals feed that has been treated with antibiotics. This is because antibiotics can enter the feed supply through distillers grains, most of which are by-products of the growing fuel ethanol industry in North America. Because of the growing supply, distillers grains are increasingly being incorporated into cattle, poultry, swine, equine and fish feed. Commercial fuel ethanol production facilities often use antibiotics such as penicillin and erythromycin during production to prevent bacterial contamination of their fermenters. The US FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine (CVM) is concerned that not all antibiotics used during production are sufficiently degraded or metabolized to inactive compounds during ethanol production. In fact, some might be even more concentrated after production.

Charm offers a variety of tests on its rugged and reliable Charm II platform to detect antibiotics in feed and grain. An antibiotic monitoring program using Charm tests along with critical control points can help lower the incidence of antibiotic residues in feed and grain, and helping to reduce the risk of and concern over antibiotic resistance as well as reduce the likelihood of antibiotics seeping into the local groundwater or runoff. Click on a tab below to learn more about each type of test.

• Aminoglycosides
• Amphenicols
• Beta-lactams
• Macrolides
• Sulfonamides
• Tetracyclines

Charm II Aminoglycoside Tests for Feed and Grain Charm provides two types of Charm II Kits to detect aminoglycoside antibiotics in feed and grain. Aminoglycoside antibiotics function though the inhibition of protein synthesis in bacterial cells. The most common members include streptomycin, dihydrostreptomycin, gentamicin, neomycin, kanamycin, amikacin, tobramycin, and apramycin.     CHARM II AMINOGLYCOSIDE TESTS AT A GLANCE      • Specific kit for gentamicin and neomycin-type aminoglycocides      • Specific kit for streptomycin-type aminoglycocides      • 10 minute assay time      • 10 to 15 minute preparation time      • 50 g to 100 g sample size

Charm II Amphenicol Tests for Feed and Grain Charm offers two Charm II Kits to detect amphenicols and/or chloramphenicol in feed and grain. The amphenicol family of antibiotics includes such drugs as chloramphenicol, florfenicol and thiamphenicol. Chloramphenicol has been banned for use in food producing animals in many countries as it is known to cause aplastic anemia..     CHARM II AMPHENICOL TESTS AT A GLANCE      • Amphenicol and Chloramphenicol kits      • 10 minute assay time      • 10 to 15 minute preparation time      • 50 g to 100 g sample size      • 6 to 12 samples in assay

Charm II Beta-Lactam Test for Feed and Grain Charm provides a Charm II test to detect beta-lactam antibiotics in feed and grain. Common members of the beta-lactam family of antibiotics include: penicillin, cephapirin, ceftiofur, ampicillin, amoxicillin, cloxacillin, oxacillin, dicloxacillin, cefquinome, nafcillin, cefazolin, cefodroxil, cefotaxime, cephalexin, cephradine, hetacillin, penethamate, piperacillin, and ticarcillin.     CHARM II BETA-LACTAM TEST AT A GLANCE      • 10 minute assay time      • 10 to 15 minute preparation time      • 50 g to 100 g sample size      • 6 to 12 samples in assay

Charm II Macrolide Test for Feed and Grain Charm II is the only rapid testing system to detect all members of the macrolide antibiotic family in feed and grain. Macrolide antibiotics function though the inhibition of protein synthesis in bacterial cells. The macrolide family of antibiotics includes erythromycin, pirlimycin, spiramycin, tilmicosin, tulathromycin, and tylosin. Macrolides are closely related structurally to the lincosamide family of antibiotics including lincomycin and clindamycin, and often cross-react on macrolide tests.     CHARM II MACROLIDE TESTS AT A GLANCE      • Detects macrolides and lincosamides      • 10 minute sequential assay      • 10 to 15 minute preparation time      • 50 g to 100 g sample size      • 6 to 12 samples in assay

Charm II Sulfonamide Test for Feed and Grain Charm provides the Charm II Sulfonamide Test to detect all members of the sulfonamide or sulfa drug family in feed and grain. Some common sulfa drugs include sulfadimethoxine, sulfamethazine, sulfachlorpyridazine, sulfathiazole, sulfadoxine, sulfadiazine and sulfaquinoxaline. Sulfonamides are bacteriostatic antimicrobial agents that compete with folic acid synthesis in bacteria. Sulfa drugs are known to provoke allergic reactions in humans, and in the case of sulfamethazine, toxicity studies have shown follicular cell adenomas in mice.    CHARM II SULFONAMIDE TEST AT A GLANCE      • Detects all sulfa drugs      • 10 minute assay time      • 10 to 15 minute preparation time      • 50 g to 100 g sample size      • 6 to 12 samples in assay

Charm II Tetracycline Test for Feed and Grain The Charm II Tetracycline Test for Feed and Grain detect the most common tetracyclines used in food producing animals, including oxytetracycline, tetracycline and chlortetracycline. Tetracyclines are commonly used broad-spectrum antibiotics that inhibit protein synthesis in bacteria. Tetracyclines are known to provoke allergic reactions in humans and induce microbial resistance.    CHARM II TETRACYCLINE TEST AT A GLANCE      • 10 minute assay      • 10 to 15 minute preparation time      • 50 g to 100 g sample size      • 6 to 12 samples in assay