Abstract
Fluoroquinoles have a wide range of antimicrobial properties and are effective in the treatment of bacterial diseases in fish. The use of fluoroquinoles continues to grow steadily. Fluoroquinolone antibiotics are probably the most important class used among synthetic antibiotics in human and veterinary medicines because of their broad activity spectrum and good oral absorption. This study was conducted to estimate the residue of antibiotics in four species of farmed fishes, including olive flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus), black rock fish (Sebastes schlegeli), red sea bream (Pagrus major), and sea bass (Lateolabrax japonicus), collected from fish farms located in the southern coastal area of Korea. The residues of fluoroquinolones were determined using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with a fluorescence detector. Residuals of five fluoroquinolones in muscle tissue of farmed fish were analyzed. We found that enrofloxacin was the most common agent in fish muscle, and that ciprofloxacin was the next most common. The range of detected concentrations of fluoroquinolones in olive flounder muscle was 0-0.859 mg/kg in 32.6% of all samples. Enrofloxacin was commonly detected in sea bass muscle at a range of 0-0.143 mg/kg in 38.9% of all samples. Fluoroquinolones were detected in 6.9% of black rock fish muscle and in 16.6% of sea bream, although the detected concentration was below 0.01 mg/kg. The maximum detection value of enrofloxacin and ofloxacin in olive flounder at the time of shipping was 0.102 mg/kg and 0.09 mg/kg, respectively; no other antimicrobials were detected. We detected no antimicrobial substances in red sea bream.
