Current Advances in Immunoassays for the Detection of β(2)-Agonists

β(2)-agonists are a group of synthetic phenylethanolamine compounds which are traditionally used for treating bronchospasm. These compounds can also increase skeletal muscle mass and decrease body fat. The illegal use of β(2)-agonists in food-producing animals results in residue of β(2)-agonists in edible tissues and causes adverse health effects in humans. Thus, the detection of β(2)-agonists at trace level in complex sample matrices is of great importance for monitoring the abuse of β(2)-agonists. Many methods have been developed to detect β(2)-agonists. Among them, a variety of antigen–antibody interaction-based techniques have been established to detect β(2)-agonists in various samples, including animal feed, urine, serum, milk, tissues and hair. In this review, we summarized current achievement in the extraction of β(2)-agonists from testing samples and detection of β(2)-agonists using immunological techniques. Future perspectives were briefly discussed.