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Uptake of Metronidazole in Artemia at Different Developmental Life Stages
Author(s) -
Rodriguez Loretta,
Livengood Elisa J.,
Miles Richard D.,
Chapman Frank A.
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
journal of aquatic animal health
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.507
H-Index - 52
eISSN - 1548-8667
pISSN - 0899-7659
DOI - 10.1080/08997659.2011.587745
Subject(s) - brine shrimp , metronidazole , biology , artemia salina , instar , larva , zoology , aquaculture , fishery , veterinary medicine , ecology , antibiotics , fish <actinopterygii> , microbiology and biotechnology , toxicity , medicine
The purpose of this study was to examine the capacity of live brine shrimp Artemia spp. to accumulate metronidazole at different developmental life stages. Metronidazole is used in fish as an antiparasitic medication. An effective drug delivery method is to enrich the Artemia with metronidazole and offer them as live feed to the infected fish, usually ornamental species and other small fishes. Artemia cysts were hatched and then soaked in a metronidazole solution (0.05%) at instars 1–3 of larval development. Our findings indicated that Artemia were able to accumulate metronidazole at levels considered therapeutic to other animals and humans (25–100 mg/kg). However, the levels varied depending on the stage of larval development. Artemia accumulated the highest levels of metronidazole (137–143 mg/kg) when they started filter feeding (instar 2), whereas newly hatched Artemia (instar 1) contained the lowest level (85 mg/kg). Based on this study and a review of the literature, a new protocol recommended for enriching Artemia with metronidazole consists of soaking the Artemia in a 0.05% metronidazole solution for 3 h at room temperature. Because metronidazole is relatively insoluble in water, it must first be dissolved in warm water with continuous stirring. Received December 5, 2010; accepted January 30, 2011