Effects of the dietary inclusion of a probiotic or prebiotic on florfenicol pharmacokinetic profile in broiler chicken

Abstract We evaluated the effect of prebiotic or probiotic as feed additives on florfenicol kinetic in broilers feed. Unsexed two hundred, thirty‐five‐day‐old broiler chickens, were put in four equal groups ( n = 50). The first group was administrated florfenicol intravenous at 30 mg/kg body weight (BW) only once dosage without pre‐ or probiotic administration to determine the bioavailability. While, the second group was administrated florfenicol (intracrop routes; a dosage of 30 mg/kg BW for five progressive days) without pre‐ or probiotic co‐administration. The third and the fourth groups were administrated the same dose of florfenicol (intracrop route) for five successive days, followed by 10 days of prebiotic or probiotic treatment respectively. The plasma florfenicol % was identified by high‐pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) after the first florfenicol administration (intravenous or intracrop routes) in all groups. Then, the residual levels of florfenicol were determined in liver, kidney and muscle tissues from the second, third and fourth groups which were exposed to florfenicol orally. Our results demonstrated that broilers pre‐treated with prebiotic or probiotic significantly increased C max , AUC 0– t , AUC 0–inf as well as AUMC values, while significant drop was recorded in V / F and CL/ F . Prebiotic or probiotic influenced the cumulative effect of florfenicol in liver and kidney tissues of treated birds.