Old Antibiotics Can Learn New Ways: A Systematic Review of Florfenicol Use in Veterinary Medicine and Future Perspectives Using Nanotechnology

Abstract

Florfenicol is a broad-spectrum bacteriostatic antibiotic used exclusively in veterinary medicine in order to treat the pathology of farm and aquatic animals. It is a synthetic fluorinated analog of thiamphenicol and chloramphenicol that functions by inhibiting ribosomal activity, which disrupts bacterial protein synthesis and has shown over time a strong activity against Gram-positive and negative bacterial groups. Florfenicol was also reported to have anti-inflammatory activity through a marked reduction in immune cell proliferation and cytokine production. The need for improvement came from (1) the inappropriate use (to an important extent) of this antimicrobial, which led to serious concerns about florfenicol-related resistance genes, and (2) the fact that this antibiotic has a low water solubility making it difficult to formulate an aqueous solution in organic solvents, and applicable for different routes of administration. This review aims to synthesize the various applications of florfenicol in veterinary medicine, explore the potential use of nanotechnology to improve its effectiveness and analyze the advantages and limitations of such approaches. The review is based on data from scientific articles and systematic reviews identified in several databases.

Streptococcus suis Research Update: Serotype Prevalence and Antimicrobial Resistance Distribution in Swine Isolates Recovered in Spain from 2020 to 2022

“…The increased resistance to amphenicols in this study may be partially attributed to the extensive use of chloramphenicol in Spain until 1994, after which it was banned for use in animals for human consumption in the European Union [ 60 ]. Furthermore, FFN is still employed in farm and aquatic animals for treating various respiratory and digestive diseases, potentially contributing to the increasing AMR levels [ 61 ].…”

Phenotypic Investigation of Florfenicol Resistance and Molecular Detection of floR Gene in Canine and Feline MDR Enterobacterales

“…In addition, certain limitations have to be taken into consideration regarding florfenicol’s toxicity, administration, pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties. Particularly, the risk of bone marrow suppression, anaphylactic reactions and side effects from the gastrointestinal tract are notable concerns, especially for non-topical treatment [ 11 ]. Moreover, its solubility in water is relatively low and thus the formulation of concentrated aqueous solutions in organic solvents (suitable for oral dosing) is difficult [ 36 ].…”

“…The application of new technologies, like nanotechnology, could be beneficial. The use of nanoemulsions for example increased its bioavailability in pigs [ 36 ], while more types of nanostructures could be evaluated in the future to improve its effectiveness, stability and drug delivery or reduce its dosage, frequency of administration and toxicity [ 11 ].…”

“…Various studies have examined its potential as a wide-spectrum alternative agent for companion animals [ 8 , 9 ]. Nevertheless, there are some difficulties with its administration, with the exception of otic gel formulations [ 10 ] and certain limitations must be investigated to obtain sufficient data for safe usage [ 11 ]. Therefore, further research is needed to evaluate its effectiveness in vitro at different sites of infection.…”

Unseen Weapons: Bacterial Extracellular Vesicles and the Spread of Antibiotic Resistance in Aquatic Environments

“…This prevents florfenicol from accumulating inside the cell and kills the bacterium. Bacteria that carry the floR gene are often resistant to other antibiotics as well, making them difficult to treat [ 78 ]. In one study, 296 bacterial isolates obtained from drinking water distribution systems in southwestern Nigeria were screened for drug resistance, and 30 isolates, including Pseudomonas, Serratia, Proteus, Acinetobacter, and Providencia rettgeri , were chosen based on their multidrug resistance and their resistance to the veterinary antibiotic florfenicol [ 79 ].…”