Pharmacokinetics studies of eugenol in Pacific white shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) after immersion bath

BACKGROUND: Eugenol is the most commonly used plant anesthetic to relieve the stressors during various aquaculture procedures. This study aims to investigate the pharmacokinetics of eugenol in Pacific white shrimp by immersion baths in a simulated transportation. RESULTS: The pharmacokinetics of eugenol were firstly investigated in Pacific white shrimp by immersion baths of 300 mg L⁻ ¹ eugenol over 5 min (Treatment 1), 10 mg L⁻ ¹ eugenol during 24 h (Treatment 2) and a sequential immersion administration (Treatment 3). Concentrations of eugenol in hemolymph, hepatopancreas, and muscle were determined using Gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS). After immersion bath of Treatment 1, the elimination half-life (t₁/₂z) values are 1.3 h and 11 h for hepatopancreas and muscles, indicating the rapid absorption and elimination of eugenol in shrimp. Under the Treatment 2 administration, the eugenol peak concentration is 6527.9 μg/kg in muscle, followed by 402.8 μg/kg in hepatopancreas, with the lowest concentration of 37.9 μg/L in hemolymph. Area under the curve (AUC₀₋∞) values lie in the order of muscle > hepatopancreas > hemolymph, suggesting that eugenol tends to accumulate in muscle by the immersion administration. Moreover, the average residence time (MRT₀₋∞) values of 38.6, 23.0 and 115.3 h for hemolymph, hepatopancreas and muscle are achieved, which may indicate that hepatopancreas is the main organ for elimination of eugenol. After combining the conditions in a sequential bath immersion of eugenol (Treatment 3), the maximum concentration (Cₘₐₓ) values of eugenol are higher than those achieved in Treatment 2, indicating that accumulation of eugenol happened in haemolymph, hepatopancreas and muscle. In addition, the corresponding t₁/₂z values are 4.7, 14.9 and 47.6 h, respectively, suggesting the faster elimination from the tissues following sequential administration. After the immersion bath, eugenol concentrations in muscle of Pacific white shrimp are lower than 2.5 mg/kg at 2 h, 48 h and 24.5 h in Treatment 1 ~ 3. CONCLUSIONS: A withdrawal period of 2 h, 48 h and 24.5 h following a 300 mg L⁻ ¹ of eugenol over a 5-min, 10 mg L⁻ ¹ eugenol concentration during a 24-h and combined conditions in a sequential immersion bath were suggested.