Comparative Pharmacokinetic of Three Sulfadiazine Suspensions by Oral Administration in Chickens

Abstract

<p>The chemotherapeutics, sulfadiazine (SDA) and trimethoprim (TMP), are extensively used in a variety of animal species. In this study, a pharmacokinetic analysis was performed to compare the bioequivalence of a combined SDA and TMP product against existing licensed SDA and TMP formulations in broiler chickens. Three groups of 15 birds were administered a single dose of either the test formulation or a reference oral suspension. The plasma concentration of SDA and TMP were determined by reverse-phase high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), and the maximal plasma concentration (C<sub>max</sub>), area under the curve (AUC), the peak time (T<sub>max</sub>), mean residence time (MRT) and elimination half-life (T<sub>1/2</sub>), were calculated for SDA. The combined formulation I and II reference suspension exhibited almost identical concentration-time curves, and ANOVA analyses of the pharmacokinetic parameters identified no significant differences between the reference preparations and the test one. Furthermore the AUC and C<sub>max</sub> values of the SDA active ingredient were not significantly different. The I formulation was bioequivalent with both II and III (80-125% and 70–143%, respectively, at the 90% confidence interval). In conclusion, the combined SDA and TMP product was bioequivalent with both existing commercially available SDA suspensions and can be used interchangeably in veterinary medical practice.</p>