Drugs and
steroids are widely used for animal health and welfare. On
the other hand drugs and steroids can be used as growth
promoters in meat production. In the EU member states and
several other countries around the world the use of growth
promoters is illegal.
Beta-Agonists act on the sympathetic nervous system but have
also lipolytic (fat-degrading) and anabolic
(muscle-building) effects (repartitioning effects). The
administration of Beta-agonists to animals used for meat
production results in an improved lean meat deposition and
higher production efficiency. Euro-Diagnostica offers two
types of competitive microtitre plate enzyme immunoassays,
the Clenbuterol-EIA and a "generic" test called
Beta-Agonist-EIA, to screen for the presence of
Beta-agonists in a range of matrices. A quick Tube Test EIA
is offered for "on-site" screening of Beta-agonists.
Steroids are compounds with a chemical structure having
apolar properties. They occur naturally or they are produced
synthetically. In the body steroids are produced mainly by
organs involved in the reproductive system or the adrenal
gland. The steroids can be divided in androgens, oestrogens,
progestagens, mineral corticoids and glucocorticoids.
Avermectines are a special group of antibiotics; they do not
act against bacteria but are active against parasites. They
interfere with the neurotransmitters glutamic acid and
gamma-aminobuteric acid resulting in disturbances of the
nervous signal transmission in for avermectines sensitive
parasites such as nematodes, pulmonary worms and warble fly
larves.
