The use of antibiotics for the treatment and prevention of diseases and as food additives to increase the weight of animals is a very widespread practice in the field of Zootechnics. Its overuse can cause the appearance of waste products in different edible tissues of medicated animals, and this can in turn affect human health.
A doctoral thesis by Mohammed Karim Hassouan, from research in the Department of Analytic Chemistry of the University of Granada, under the supervision of the professors José Luís Vílchez Quero, Alberto Navalón Montón and Oscar Ballesteros García, has analysed the presence of quinolone (the most important group of antibiotics used in human and veterinary medicine at present) in animal food. These agents inhibit mainly the activity of bacterial DNA-gyrase.
The work of the UGR has been conducted in foods such as chicken eggs, cow milk, chicken muscle, beef and pork muscle, and pork liver. The work has determined that the amount of quinolone in these products is below the limits permitted by the European Union.
The presence of antibiotics in food causes toxic effects, development of bacterial resistance, and hypersensitive allergic reactions in humans. In addition, they can cause environmental problems (water and soil pollution) as well as industrial ones (cheese, butter, or yoghurt contamination). To carry out their work, these scientists from Granada have used the high-resolution liquid chromatography with fluorescent detection.
Collaboration between universities
This study follows the research line termed “Caracterización y Determinación de Antibióticos en Fluidos Biológicos y Alimentos de Origen Animal” (Characterization and Determination of Antibiotics in Biological Fluids and Animal-derived Foods), pursued by the research group “Química Analítica y Ciencias de la Vida” (Analytic Chemistry and Life Sciences) since the year 2000 in collaboration with the group “Bioanálisis” (Bioanalysis) of the University of Barcelona, directed by Dr José Barbosa Torralbo.
The result of this work has been 8 doctoral theses, the publication of 40 articles in international journals, and the presentation of 35 papers at international conferences.
The doctoral thesis of Mohammed Karim Hassouan has helped to establish analytical methods for determining and quantifying the waste products of quinolone in different matrices. This is vital for a strict monitoring of these drugs in different tissues.
The research group “Química Analítica y Ciencias de la Vida” is now working on a new project that will analyse another family of antibiotics, the beta-lactam antibiotics, in these same foods.
Reference: Mohammed Karim Hassouan – Teacher Alberto Navalón Montón. Department of Analytic Chemistry of the University of Granada. Telephone Numbers: 958 240 798 – 958-243 399. E-mail Address: hkarim@ugr.es, anavalon@ugr.es.
Web site: http://www.ugr.es/local/cienvida