Quantification of Oxytetracycline Residuei in Farmed Common Carp (Cyprinus Carpio) Meat in Sulaymaniyah Province/Iraq Using Hplc

Abstract

In Iraq, due to the government’s lack of control over antibiotic use by the aquaculture farmers, random use of antibiotic is prominent, especially Oxytetracycline (OTC). Oxytetracycline is a potent antibiotic used in aquaculture industries because it is easily obtained, inexpensive, and effective against bacterial diseases. The present study aimed at quantifying and comparing the amount of OTC residue in the two most consumed muscles, dorsal and caudal skeletal muscles, of farmed common carp fish ‘Cyprinus carpio’ by the Sulaymaniyah population. Samples of caudal and dorsal skeletal muscles of 54 (for each muscle type 27) carp fish were taken randomly from 9 large aquaculture ponds, which were composed of one or more earthen ponds, in Qaladze and Taqtaq areas near Sulaymaniyah Province/Iraq. The OTC residue was quantified using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Two-tailed, unpaired t test analysis of the results was performed by GraphPad Prism software to compare between the residue levels in the two regions of the skeletal muscles. Twenty-eight samples had OTC residue detected in them, while residues in twenty-six samples were not detectable, only two of the caudal skeletal muscle samples had residues that exceeded the Maximum Residual Limit (MRL), while all the dorsal muscles with OTC residues revealed lower levels than the set MRL. The present study revealed that there was OTC residues in common carp, and different muscles have OTC residues regardless of their location in the common carp’s body. In addition, a specific MRL level and a legal regulation by the Iraqi government must be set to keep OTC use for the farms and residue levels in the fish meat under control.