Studies on acute toxicity and efficacy of sarafloxacin against experimental salmonellosis in chicks

The acute LD 50 of sarafloxacin hydrochloride in mice was above 5 000 mg/kg by oral administration and 677.6 mg/kg by intraperitoneal injection.Results of the drug sensitivity test showed that inhibition zone of sarafloxacin hydrochloride was (23.3±0.96)mm against salmonella.The therapeutic trials of sarafloxacin hydrochloride (20,35,50,75 mg/L) and norfloxacin (150 mg/kg) were carried out in chicks by oral administration in drinking water for 5 successive days against experimental induced salmonellosis.The protective rates of the above drugs were 90.0%,86.7%,90.0%,100.0% and 83.7%,respectively,whereas the livability of salmonellosis infected but untreated group was 56.7% ( P 0.01).The relative weight gain rates of the sarafloxacin hydrochloride treated groups in 9 days after salmonellosis inoculation were 74.8%,69.3%,74.1% and 79.8%,respectively,all significantly ( P 0.05) higher than that of the positive control (53.4%),and also a little higher than that of norfloxacin treated group (61.5%).