Metabolism of aceclofenac to diclofenac in the domestic water buffalo Bubalus bubalis confirms it as a threat to Critically Endangered Gyps vultures in South Asia
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Date
Authors
Chandramohan, S.
Mathesh, Karikalan
Mallord, John W.
Naidoo, Vinny
Mahendran, K.
Kesavan, Manickam
Gaur, Gyanendra K.
Pawde, Abhijit M.
Prakash, Nikita
Ranade, Sachin
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Elsevier
Abstract
Vulture declines in South Asia were caused by accidental poisoning by the veterinary non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) diclofenac. Although veterinary use of diclofenac has been banned, other vulture-toxic NSAIDs are legally available, including aceclofenac, which has been shown to metabolise into diclofenac in domestic cattle. We gave nine domestic water buffalo the recommended dose of aceclofenac (2 mg kg−1 body weight), collected blood at intervals up to 48 h, and carried out a pharmacokinetic analysis of aceclofenac and its metabolite diclofenac in plasma. Aceclofenac was rapidly converted to diclofenac, and was barely detectable in plasma at any sampling time. Diclofenac was present within 20 min, and peaked 4–8 h after dosing. Aceclofenac is a prodrug of diclofenac, and behaves similarly in domestic water buffalo as it did in domestic cattle, posing the same risk to vultures. We recommend an immediate ban on the veterinary use of aceclofenac across vulture-range countries.
Description
Keywords
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), Pharmacokinetics, Liquid chromatography with mass spectrometry, Ecotoxicology, Vulture declines, SDG-15: Life on land, Vultures
Sustainable Development Goals
Citation
Chandramohan, S., Mathesh, K., Mallord, J.W. et al. 2022, 'Metabolism of aceclofenac to diclofenac in the domestic water buffalo Bubalus bubalis confirms it as a threat to Critically Endangered Gyps vultures in South Asia', Environmental Toxicology and Pharmacology, vol. 96, art. 103984, pp. 1-5, doi : 10.1016/j.etap.2022.103984.