Development of an in vitro / in vivo correlation method to assess the efficiency of oral drug release from oral medications in swine - Phase 2: Water medication

Project 21-03 - Dr. Jerome del Castillo

Dr. Jerome del Castillo, University de Montreal

Swine producers most often give medications to their pigs either in feed or drinking water. In the previous phase of this research project, we have demonstrated that feed-drug interactions significantly obstruct the process of drug release from medicated feed. Our results reveal that the rates and extents of lincomycin and chlortetracycine release significantly depend on the water holding capacity (WHC) of medicated feedstuffs, a previously unrecorded feed-drug interaction mechanism. Noteworthy, ground corn and soybean meal created the greatest obstacle to the release of tested drugs. We hypothesize that water medication may experience similar feed-drug interactions because pigs drink most of their water provision with feed. For this new phase proposal, we extend the range of tested feedstuffs to those used in the manufacturing of early (1st, 2nd) and late (3rd, 4th) phase weaner diets, determine their abilities to bind the drug molecules of water medications for weaner pigs, and determine the reversibility of this capture that may impede the intestinal absorption of the tested drugs. Similar to our findings with feed-grade drug premixes, we expect that the binding ability of water-soluble drugs will differ among the feedstuffs used in post-weaning feeds, and that their WHC will predict the rate and extent of drug binding. Our goal is to identify the feedstuffs that should minimally interfere with oral drug absorption in weaner pig groups requiring medication, a result that will reinforce the existing antimicrobial stewardship practices of the Canadian swine sector.

Phase 1 research