Effect of multiple oral administrations of ciprofloxacin on haemato-biochemical parameters in broiler chickens

Ciprofloxacin is a clinically popular second generation fluoroquinolone and one of the cheapest prescribed antimicrobial drugs in veterinary and human medicine, having broad spectrum activity with great efficacy against aerobic Gram-negative bacteria especially the Enterobacteriaceae. The present study was planned with an aim to evaluate the safety of multiple oral administrations of ciprofloxacin in broiler chickens based evaluation on haematological and biochemical parameters. Ciprofloxacin was repeatedly administered in eight broiler chickens via oral route at the dose rate of 10 mg/kg, once in a day, for five days. Blood was collected at 0 day (for control sample before drug administration) and at 6 h, 12 h, 24 h, 48 h, 72 h, 96 h, 120 h, 168 h and 240 h. Hematological parameters including haemoglobin concentration (Hb), packed cell volume (PCV), total leukocyte count (TLC), total erythrocyte count (TEC) and differential leukocyte counts (DLC), and plasma biochemical parameters viz. alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), acid phosphatase (ACP), creatine kinase (CK), blood glucose, total bilirubin (T-BIL), creatinine, blood urea nitrogen (BUN), total protein and albumin were estimated before first dosing (0 h; as a control) and at various time points post dosing of drugs. Based on haematological and biochemical evaluations and clinical appreciation, ciprofloxacin was found safe to use at the dose of 10 mg/kg repeated at 24 h for five consecutive days.