Pharmacokinetics, Tissue Residues, and Withdrawal Times of Florfenicol in Chukar Partridges (Alectoris chukar)

The aim of this study was to determine pharmacokinetics of florfenicol and its metabolite florfenicol amine after a single (30 mg/kg) intravenous (IV) and oral administration of florfenicol in chukar partridges. It also aimed to investigate tissue residue and withdrawal time of florfenicol after multiple-dose (30 mg/kg, every 24 h for 5 days) oral administration. The research was carried out in two stages: pharmacokinetics and residue. Plasma and tissue concentrations of florfenicol and florfenicol amine were determined by HPLC. The elimination half-life of florfenicol was 5.25 h for IV and 5.44 h for oral. The volume of distribution at a steady state and total body clearance of florfenicol were 0.38 L/kg and 0.07 L/h/kg, respectively, after IV administration. The peak plasma concentration and bioavailability for oral administration were 45.26 +/- 4.06 and 51.55%, respectively. After multiple-dose oral administration, the highest concentration was detected in the liver (9.21 mu g/g) for florfenicol and in the kidney (0.67 mu g/g) for florfeniol amine. The calculated withdrawal period of florfenicol was determined as 6, 3, 4, and 5 days for muscle, liver, kidney, and skin + fat, respectively. These data indicate that a 6-day WT after multiple-dose administration of florfenicol in chukar partridges can be considered safe for human consumption.