Facile method for enrofloxacin detection in milk using a personal glucose meter

•A simple and rapid method was developed for enrofloxacin detection using a personal glucose meter (PGM).•The amount of glucose consumed by bacterial metabolism was measured using the PGM.•Enrofloxacin obstructs bacterial metabolism and so reduces glucose consumption in proportion to the E. coli concentration.•The limit of detection for enrofloxacin in water and milk was 5ng/mL and the assay time was 2h.•The change in glucose concentration was determined by the naked eye using glucose test strips for high-throughput screening. We developed a simple method for enrofloxacin detection in water and milk using a personal glucose meter (PGM). After mixing a test sample with Escherichia coli (E. coli) in lysogeny broth (LB) and glucose, the amount of glucose consumed (change in concentration) by bacterial metabolism was measured using the PGM. The antibacterial activity of enrofloxacin obstructs bacterial metabolism and so reduces glucose consumption in proportion to the enrofloxacin concentration. The limit of detection for enrofloxacin in both matrices was 5ng/mL and the assay time was 2h. Further, the change in glucose concentration could be determined qualitatively by the naked eye using glucose test strips for high-throughput screening.