title: Water flea Moina macrocopa as a novel biocarrier of norfloxacin in aquaculture.
abstract: The potential of using water flea Moina macrocopa as a novel live drug carrier to freshwater aquatic animals has been evaluated. The incorporation of antibacterial, norfloxacin into Moina and subsequently into fish was quantified. The efficiency of drug incorporation into water flea depends on both drug concentration in enrichment medium and incubation time. The maximum drug level in Moina following bioencapsulation technique was reached at 4 h of exposure at drug concentrations of 10-20% (w/w) (0.70-0.90 mg/g dry weight of water flea). Significant higher drug uptake was obtained (1.902+/-0.228 mg/g dry weight of water flea) in 2 h at the drug concentration of 40%. A marked decrease of norfloxacin percentage level upon storage of the Moina in water was observed and the survival of the Moina up to 2 h was satisfactory. It was suggested that medicated water flea should be either administered freshly enriched to fish or after short duration of storage. Following oral administration of medicated water flea to fish, the level of drug in fish body tissue increased as the number of doses increased, and the drug level was highest after a three-dose feeding. This primary food source appears to be a promising drug delivery system to aquatic animals.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmaceutical Technology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Prince of Songkla University, Songkhla, Thailand 90112. wruedeek@ratree.psu.ac.th
authors.forename: Ruedeekorn
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Wiwattanapatapee
authors.forename: Narubodee
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Padoongsombat
authors.forename: Titima
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Choochom
authors.forename: Saipin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.forename: Atra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Chaimongkol
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017756:Aquaculture / Q000379:methods*; D033361:Cladocera / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D004337:Drug Carriers / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D009643:Norfloxacin / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D011036:Poecilia
chemical_list: D004337:Drug Carriers; D009643:Norfloxacin