Communications: Bioencapsulation of the Antibacterial Drug Sarafloxacin in Nauplii of the Brine Shrimp<i>Artemia franciscana</i>

Abstract

Nauplii of the brine shrimp Artemia franciscana were enriched with the antibacterial drug sarafloxacin hydrochloride to determine if levels effective against four pathogenic strains of Vibrio spp. would accumulate in brine shrimp. Three vibrio strains were Vibrio anguillarum; the fourth was V. vulnifcus. Concentrations of sarafloxacin ranging from 1 to 40% (weight volume) were incorporated into the oil phase of Super Selco brine shrimp diets. Enriched nauplii and controls were sampled at 2-h intervals for 24 h. Antibiotic sensitivity testing was evaluated with a modification of the Kirby–Bauer disk diffusion method. A microbiological assay with Escherichia coli was used to determine the concentration of sarafloxacin per sample of nauplii. The results indicate that sarafloxacin is rapidly taken up by larval brine shrimp and can be detected at 2 h of enrichment by microbiological assay. The efficacy of sarafloxacin appears to depend on the strain of pathogen present.