Determination of five antibacterial drug residues in commercial chicken eggs distributed in Mashhad, Iran

The egg is an important source of animal protein, the diversity in its nutrients along with its high digestibility and affordable price has put the egg in the spotlight as basic food for human. Efficient poultry production, necessitates the use of pharmaceutical products such as antibiotics, as prophylactic and curative to ensure rapid growth and health. Inappropriate use of these drugs results in an accumulation of drug residues in eggs that concern as an important public health issue. The objective of this study was to determine the possible presence of antibiotic residue in commercial distributed chicken eggs in Mashhad city. To assess this, a total of ۲۰۰ eggs were collected from ۱۳ municipal areas of Mashhad and analyzed, using a Four Plate Test (FPT) for the detection based on a bacterial growth inhibition method. The results of this study revealed that ۶۳.۵ % of these eggs were positive for antibiotic residue. They include sulfonamides, macrolides, beta-lactam, and aminoglycosides with ۵.۵%, ۹%, ۱۴%, and ۳۵% residues respectively.In conclusion, this high level of antibiotic residues in eggs can potentially put people's health at risk, therefore the use of antibiotics in the poultry sector should be severely restricted and controlled.

Keywords:

Antiicrobial residue , poultry eggs , Four Plate Test , public health ,