IN VITRO AND IN VIVO COMPARISON OF ENROFLOXACIN METABOLISM IN TURKEY.

Enrofloxacin (E) is a synthetic fluoroquinolone antimicrobial agent, administered orally to turkeys for the treatment of respiratory and intestinal diseases. The aim of the study is to assess, in turkey, the extent of the in vitro hepatic biotransformation of Enrofloxacin (E) into Ciprofloxacin (C), its active metabolite, as the sum of E+C is the marker residue for edible tissues from treated turkey fixed by EU to minimize the risk for human health (1). Liver microsomal fractions of 2 healthy turkeys were prepared and incubated at 38°C, for 15 minutes with E (500 ppb) and the target analytes were extracted with Acetonitrile(3ml). Blood, lungs, livers and intestinal content were collected from 8 healthy turkeys, 24h after a last treatment with E (20 mg/Kg in medicated water for 5 days)to evaluate C and E concentrations by a liquid chromatography, coupled to a mass spectrometry method (LC-MS/MS).