Development of an ELISA-based kit for the on-farm determination of progesterone in milk

Simerský, Radim; Swaczynová, Jana; Morris, David; Fránek, M.; Strnad, Miroslav
VETERINÁRNÍ MEDICÍNA 52 [1]: 19-28, 2007

Klíčová slova: bovine milk; ELISA; oestrus
Abstrakt: Effective reproductive management is a crucial concern in the dairy industry and missed oestrus and late recognition of unsuccessful insemination can lead to substantial financial loss. Progesterone levels change in a predictable manner with progress of the oestrus cycle and with the onset of pregnancy. We report here the development of a simple ELISA test for the measurement of progesterone levels in bovine milk. The method is based on the use of polyclonal antibodies raised against 11α-hydroxyprogesterone-hemisuccinate and competition for antibody binding sites between free progesterone and horseradish peroxidase-labelled progesterone. Binding is quantified by means of the colour reaction between horseradish peroxidase and 3,3’,5,5’-tetramethylbenzidine. The method has proved to be a cost effective, sensitive and easy to perform alternative to currently available methods of oestrus and pregnancy detection. The practical feasibility of the method has been proven under dairy farm conditions.
DOI:
Autoři z ÚEB: Miroslav Strnad