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Pharmacokinetics and tissue distribution of florfenicol and florfenicol amine in snubnose pompano (Trachinotus blochii) following oral administration

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Abstract

The present study reports the comparative pharmacokinetic profiles of florfenicol and its metabolite (florfenicol amine, FFA) in Trachinotus blochii under tropical marine conditions (salinity: 35 ± 1.4‰; temperature: 28.8 ± 0.54 °C) following a single in-feed oral administration of the recommended dose (15 mg/Kg). Furthermore, the study investigated the distribution of these two compounds in nine different tissues. The maximum florfenicol concentrations (Cmax) in plasma and tissues were observed within five hours (Tmax), except for bile. The Cmax ranged from 572 to 1954 ng/g or ml and was in the intestine > bile > muscle + skin > liver > gill = heart > plasma > kidney = spleen. The elimination half-life of FFC was significantly slower in the bile (38.25 ± 4.46 h). The AUC tissue/plasma was highest for bile (3.77 ± 0.22), followed by intestine > muscle + skin > heart > liver > kidney = gill = spleen. Tmax and t1/2β were slower, and Cmax was lower for FFA than florfenicol in all tissues except Cmax of the kidney and bile. FFA t1/2β was exceptionally slower in the kidney (46.01 ± 8.2 h). Interestingly, reaching an apparent distribution rate of > 0.5 was comparatively faster in the kidney, liver, and gills than in other tissues. The highest apparent metabolic rate was in the kidney (0.95 ± 0.01) and the lowest in plasma (0.41 ± 0.01). The generated data can be applied for formulating efficient therapeutic protocols in T. blochii, a promising mariculture species.

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Acknowledgements

The authors are thankful to Dr. A. Gopalakrishnan, Director, ICAR-CMFRI, for the facilities provided. The study formed part of the All India Network Project on Fish Health (AINP-FH). Authors thank the Indian Council of Agriculture Research (ICAR) for the funding. SG and VP acknowledge the fellowship granted to them by the ICAR through AINP-FH.

Funding

The funding for this research was provided by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) under the All India Network Project on Fish Health (Grant No. CIBA/AINP-FH/2015–16).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Fish Health Section, Marine Biotechnology, Fish Nutrition and Health Division, ICAR-Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (ICAR-CMFRI), Ernakulam North PO, Kochi, 682018, Kerala, India

    T. G. Sumithra, S. R. Krupesha Sharma, Vishnu Prasad, Suja Gangadharan, S. Gayathri & Antony Ambrose

  2. Vizhinjam Regional Centre of ICAR-CMFRI, Vizhinjam P.O, Thiruvananthapuram, 692521, Kerala, India

    Ambarish P. Gop & M. K. Anil

  3. Quality Assurance and Management Division, ICAR-Central Institute of Fisheries Technology, Kochi, 682029, Kerala, India

    R. Rajisha & S. K. Panda

  4. Aquatic Animal Health and Environment Division, ICAR-Central Institute of Brackishwater Aquaculture, Santhome High Road, Chennai, 600028, Tamil Nadu, India

    P. K. Patil

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  1. T. G. Sumithra
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Contributions

KSSR conceptualized the presented idea, supervised the project, helped in drafting the manuscript, and acquired financial support for the project leading to this publication. STG analyzed the results and wrote the manuscript. VP, SG, AA, and RR conducted the experiments, sampling, and sample processing. GS, APG, PSK, and AMK provided technical support to carry out the experiments. PKP provided critical feedback while drafting the manuscript.

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Correspondence to S. R. Krupesha Sharma.

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Ethics approval

All the live fish experiments were conducted in compliance with ARRIVE guidelines (Percie du Sert et al. 2020). The live fish were handled as per the guidelines of the UK Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act (1986) and EU Directive 2010/63/EU for animal experiments (2019). The experimental procedures followed in the present study were approved by the ICAR-CMFRI, Kochi, India (CIBA/AINP-FH/2020–21).

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Sumithra, T.G., Sharma, S.R.K., Prasad, V. et al. Pharmacokinetics and tissue distribution of florfenicol and florfenicol amine in snubnose pompano (Trachinotus blochii) following oral administration. Fish Physiol Biochem 49, 307–320 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10695-023-01179-4

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