Acute toxicity of nifurpirinol, a fish chemotherapeutant, to milkfish (Chanos chanos) fingerlings

Abstract

Nifurpirinol (trade name Furanace and originally known as P-7138), is a nitrofuran derivative synthesized by the Dainippon Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., Japan, and was developed exclusively as a broad-spectrum antibiotic for fish and other aquatic organisms (Shimizu and Takase 1967). It has been shown to have bactericidal and fungicidal action in vitro and in vivo (Shimizu and Takase 1967; Amend and Ross 1970; Pearse et al. 1974; Mitchell and Plumb 1980), and was used because of its excellent potential in controlling prawn diseases (Delves-Broughton 1974; Gacutan and Llobrera 1977).

Milkfish (Chanos chanos Forsskal) is a widely-reared species and a very important aquaculture food crop in most parts of Southeast Asia. Thus, it was the logical choice as test animal for investigating the LC50 toxicity levels of nifurpirinol (6-hydroxymethyl-2-[2-(5-nitro-2-furyl) vinyl] pyridine) after 96 hr exposure. Changes in the normal gill architecture of milkfish after exposure to the drug were also studied (Tamse et al., in preparation).