title: Voluntary ingestion of antiparasitic drugs emulsified in honey represents an alternative to gavage in mice.
abstract: The oral route is the most frequently used method of drug intake in humans. Oral administration of drugs to laboratory animals such as mice typically is achieved through gavage, in which a feeding needle is introduced into the esophagus and the drug is delivered directly into the stomach. This method requires technical skill, is stressful for animals, and introduces risk of injury, pain and morbidity. Here we investigated another method of drug administration. The benzimidazole derivative albendazole was emulsified in commercially available honey and administered to mice by voluntary feeding or gavage. Mice that received albendazole by either gavage or honey ingestion had virtually identical levels of serum albendazole sulfoxide, indicating that uptake and metabolism of albendazole was similar for both administration techniques. In addition, dosing mice with the albendazole-honey mixture for 8 wk had antiparasitic activity comparable to earlier studies using gavage for drug administration. Compared with gavage, voluntary ingestion of a drug in honey is more rapid, less stressful to the animal, and less technically demanding for the administrator. Because of its low cost and ready availability, honey presents a viable vehicle for drug delivery.
authors: Institute of Parasitology, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Berne, Berne, Switzerland.
authors: Tatiana
authors: T
authors: Küster
authors: Beatrice
authors: B
authors: Zumkehr
authors: Corina
authors: C
authors: Hermann
authors: Regula
authors: R
authors: Theurillat
authors: Wolfgang
authors: W
authors: Thormann
authors: Bruno
authors: B
authors: Gottstein
authors: Andrew
authors: A
authors: Hemphill
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D015766:Albendazole / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000097:blood; D000818:Animals; D000923:Anticestodal Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000097:blood; D002266:Carboxymethylcellulose Sodium / Q000008:administration & dosage; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid / Q000662:veterinary; D004337:Drug Carriers / Q000191:economics; D004443:Echinococcosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000662:veterinary; D045703:Emulsifying Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000191:economics; D005260:Female; D006722:Honey / Q000191:economics; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D012376:Rodent Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy
chemical_list: D000923:Anticestodal Agents; D004337:Drug Carriers; D045703:Emulsifying Agents; D015766:Albendazole; D002266:Carboxymethylcellulose Sodium