Impact of Freezing Intervals on Oxytetracycline and Ciprofloxacin Residues in Nile Tilapia and Catfish Muscles

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Food Control Department, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Benha University, Benha, Egypt.

2 Food Hygiene Department, Animal Health Research Institute (AHRI), Egypt

3 Department of Food Hygiene and Control (Meat hygiene), Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Benha University, Benha 13736, Egypt.

Abstract

Antibiotics are commonly used in aquaculture to treat or prevent bacterial infections, which may lead to residues in fish tissue when administered improperly. Ciprofloxacin (cip) and oxytetracycline (OTC) residues in experimentally treated Nile Tilapia) Oreochromis niloticus), and African catfish (Clarias gariepinus), muscles were analyzed to determine the effects of freezing at -18 °C for four months, and analyzed monthly. After freezing for one, two, three, and four months the reduction percent of OTC residue levels in Nile Tilapia were 26.4, 51.9, 76.1, and 76.1%. While in African catfish were 37.2, 64.4, 100 and 100, respectively. Freezing at -18°C Throughout one to four months, Nile Tilapia muscle cip residue concentrations reduced from 30.9 ± 3.3 to 8.24 ± 1.6 ppb, with a reduction percentage of 27.6, 58.8, 80.7, and 80.7. In African catfish tissue, reduction percent were 24.3, 49.4, 72, and 72 after freezing for one, two, three, and four months respectively. Therefore, it is highly recommended to freeze fish before serving it to humans to avoid the possibility of antibiotic residues.

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