Safety of buquinolate in poultry and small animals

Abstract

The highest single oral doses of buquinolate tested were not lethal to mice, rats, dogs, turkeys, or chickens. No toxicosis resulted from subacute and acute toxicity tests with 1–10 times the level of buquinolate recommended for anticoccidiosis medication. No changes due to the drug were detectable in macroscopic or microscopic examination of tissues and organs from treated animals or birds. The highest tolerated single oral dose of buquinolate in mice and rats is greater than 7500 mg/kg. Rats given 0.3% buquinolate in the ration for 31 days had no signs of toxicosis. Growth and food consumption were unaffected. No changes due to the drug were observed in microscopic examination of tissues and organs. Buquinolate at 0.8% of the ration caused no signs of toxicosis in a 90-day rat toxicity study. Blood values were normal. No pathologic changes in tissues were seen grossly or microscopically. Buquinolate as tested is nontoxic to dogs. At levels of 100 mg/kg/day for 34 days and 450 mg/kg/day for 90 days there were no signs of toxicosis; blood, urine, tissues, and organs were normal. In toxicity tests of buquinolate in chickens, single oral doses of 20 g/kg were nontoxic to 7-day-old chicks. No signs of toxicosis appeared in chickens given 0.088% buquinolate in the ration for 31 days. No pathologic changes in tissues and organs were seen grossly or microscopically. Food consumption and growth of buquinolate-medicated chickens were similar to nonmedicated controls. Buquinolate at levels of 0.0055 – 0.044% of the ration for 10 weeks caused no evidence of toxicity in White Rock chickens. Food consumption and food efficiency were similar to controls. Blood chemical values were similar in treated and control birds. No drug-related pathologic changes were seen in microscopic examination of tissues and organs. Buquinolate at 0.011% of the ration throughout the growing period, or continuously through both growing and laying period, caused no microscopically detectable changes in tissues of growing pullets or laying hens. Turkeys 2 weeks of age given single oral doses of buquinolate at 10 g/kg were lethargic for several hours. They appeared normal after 24 hours, and none died during a 10-day observation period. Buquinolate in turkey feed at concentrations of 0.022 – 0.088% for 33 days caused no signs of toxicosis. Hematologic and blood chemical values were normal. Turkeys given 0.088% buquinolate had no changes in tissues or organs due to the drug.