Influence of enrofloxacin administration and alpha-tocopheryl acetate supplemented diets on oxidative stability of broiler tissues

Food Chemistry Unit, Meat Technology Center, Institut de Recerca i Tecnologia Agroalimentaries, Granja Camps i Armet, 17121 Monells, Girona, Spain.

The objective of this study was to assess the oxidative stability and presence of antibiotic residues in tissues of broilers fed diets supplemented with alpha-tocopheryl acetate and treated with enrofloxacin. The activities of antioxidant enzymes and antibiotic concentrations in chicken breast, leg, and liver were determined. Iron-induced TBA-reactive substances (TBARS) and vitamin E were evaluated in muscles. The antioxidant effectiveness of vitamin E was reflected by TBARS values being lower in antioxidant-supplemented treatments than in the other dietary groups. On the other hand, antioxidant enzyme activities were not substantially affected by dietary treatments. The concentration of enrofloxacin in tissues was considerable, even after withdrawal 12 d before slaughter. Contrary to the findings in previous studies, enrofloxacin was not extensively metabolized to ciprofloxacin. Supplementation of the diet with 100 mg/kg of alpha-tocopheryl acetate did not have a significant effect on the level of antibiotic found in breast muscle samples. When comparing treatments without antibiotic withdrawal time, alpha-tocopheryl acetate supplementation led to a significant decrease in enrofloxacin level in leg and liver samples. These results showed that mutual interactions between different molecules could modify the drug residues in the tissue, which should be taken into account when considering the drug administration and the establishment of a correct withdrawal time.