Influence of chlorine, iodine, and citrate-based water sanitizers on the oral bioavailability of enrofloxacin in broiler chickens

Abstract This experiment was conducted to determine if the 3 most commonly used water sanitizers in commercial broiler chicken production affected the stability of enrofloxacin (ENR), when each was administered concurrently with ENR to broiler chickens via the drinking water. To that effect, the in vitro antibacterial activity of the solution of each ENR-sanitizer product (ESP) was compared to that of ENR alone. Also, bioavailability (F) studies of ESP were carried out in chickens and compared to the corresponding values of ENR in drinking water without sanitizer. Water sanitizers tested were iodine (as iodine-polyvinylpyrrolidone), chlorine (as sodium hypochlorite), and a citrate-based sanitizer from grapefruit extract. They were mixed with ENR in sterile de-ionized water, and the resulting substances were regarded as ESP. Then, the referred studies of ESP were carried out. Results showed that ESP of ENR/sodium hypochlorite decreased both the antimicrobial activity, as well as maximum serum concentration (Cmax) and F of ENR in chickens. ESP of ENR/citrate-based sanitizer increased both the in vitro antimicrobial activity and Cmax and F values of ENR at the 2 highest concentrations tested. ESP of ENR/iodine reduced both in vitro antimicrobial activity and Cmax values of ENR at the highest concentrations tested. This study demonstrated that interactions between water sanitizers and ENR must be considered when medicating chickens via the drinking water to meet pharmacokinetics/pharmacodynamics ratios. The use of a citrate-based sanitizer is recommended, as relative F was increased.