The role of laboratory control in the detection of antibiotics

Antibiotics are powerful drugs that have revolutionized medicine, significantly reducing mortality from bacterial infections. However, their uncontrolled or inappropriate use has led to a serious global problem: the rise of antibiotic resistance. In this context, laboratory testing plays a critical role not only in healthcare but also in the food industry, veterinary medicine, and the environment.

• Combating Antibiotic Resistance: Accurately identifying the type of bacteria and its susceptibility to specific antibiotics allows doctors to prescribe the most effective treatment, avoiding the overuse of broad-spectrum drugs. This slows the development of resistance.
• Food Safety : Antibiotic residues in animal products ( meat , milk , eggs ) can cause allergic reactions in consumers, disrupt the gut microflora, and promote the development of resistant bacterial strains that can be transmitted to humans through the food chain. Laboratory testing ensures that products are safe for consumption.
• Veterinary science: Control of antibiotic use in animal production is necessary to maintain animal health and prevent the spread of resistance both among animals and potentially to humans.
• Environmental monitoring: Antibiotics and their metabolites can enter the environment (soil, water) through wastewater and animal waste, affecting natural microbiomes and promoting the spread of resistance genes. Laboratory monitoring helps assess the scale of this problem .

• Disc diffusion method (Kirby-Bauer): One of the oldest and most common methods. Bacterial cultures are plated on agar, then discs impregnated with various antibiotics are placed on the surface. The diameter of the inhibited zone around the disc determines susceptibility or resistance.
• Serial dilution method (MIC): Determines the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of an antibiotic, i.e., the lowest concentration that completely inhibits visible bacterial growth. This method is used for more precise quantitative susceptibility testing.

• Polymerase chain reaction (PCR): Allows for rapid and specific detection of antibiotic resistance genes directly in samples (clinical, food, environmental).
• Sequencing: Determining the complete or partial DNA sequence of bacteria to identify mutations or acquired genes responsible for resistance.

• Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA): Used to detect antibiotic residues in food products. Based on the antigen-antibody reaction.

• High performance liquid chromatography with mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS): A highly sensitive and specific method for the quantitative determination of a wide range of antibiotics in complex matrices (tissues, milk, water ).

Laboratory monitoring is an indispensable tool in today's world for ensuring public health and food safety. It enables the rapid detection of antibiotics, monitoring their spread, and effectively combating the growing threat of antibiotic resistance. Investments in the development and implementation of advanced laboratory technologies are investments in the future of healthcare and the well-being of society.