Water flea Moina macrocopa
as a novel biocarrier of norfloxacin in aquaculture
R. Wiwattanapatapee, N. Padoongsombat, T. Choochom,
S.P. Tang, A. Chaimongkol-2002
Journal of Controlled Release, 83(1): 23-28
(from Current Contents)
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. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
(Prince
of Songkla University, Fac. of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Dept. of
Pharmaceutical Technology, Songkhla 90112, Thailand, e-mail: wruedeek@ratree.psu.ac.th)