Tilmicosin Intake and Distribution in Healthy Broiler Chickens’ Organisms

Abstract

Detection of the time required to reach the maximum concentration in the organs promotes better prediction of antibiotics activity for the treatment of infectious diseases in broiler chickens. The current article presented the research results of the intake, distribution, and elimination of the antibiotic Tilmox 25% (the active ingredient is tilmicosin phosphate (TPh)) from the body of healthy broiler chickens (cross COBB-500) during oral administration. The findings of the current study indicated the rapid absorption of TPh from the digestive tract of a fowl and its intake into the internal organs. The maximum TPh content was observed in the lungs and liver 2 hours after the start of the Tilmox solution using which amounted to 17.02 ± 0.24 and 12.78 ± 0.22 μg/g, respectively. The maximum values of 8.25 ± 0.19μg/g were recorded for the kidneys after 26 hours, and for the pectoral muscles and heart after 52 hours (6.19 ± 0.28 and 5.23 ± 0.39 μg/g, respectively). The content of TPh in the lungs, liver, and kidneys did not depend on the duration of Tilmox watering when clinically healthy broiler chickens were watered with 25% Tilmox solution. In some periods of the experiment, the TPh content increased in the pectoral and cardiac muscles, compared with the indicators 2-4 hours from the beginning of watering. The highest content of TPh was observed in the broiler chickens’ lungs during 96 hours of watering with the Tilmox solution which indicated its organ affiliation. After the poultry stopped drinking the 25% Tilmox solution, there was a significant decrease in the concentration of the active substance (TPh) within the organs. Thus, 24 hours after the cessation of drinking a 25% Tilmox solution (for 120 hours of the experiment), the content of TPh in the lungs was 1.9 times less than the previous indicators (for 96 hours), and it was estimated as 1.6, 1.4, 1.7, and 1.3 times in the liver, kidneys, pectoral muscles, and heart, respectively. Moreover, 5 days after the cessation of watering broiler chickens with Tilmox solution, the residual amounts of TPh in the organs under study were estimated as 1.20 ± 0.03 μg/g in the lungs, 1.01 ± 0.02 μg/g in the liver, and 0.91 ± 0.03 in kidneys. In the course of the research, the smallest content of TPh was detected only in one heart sample as 0.02 μg/g, and the drug was not detected in the pectoral muscles.