Studies for the use of levamisole in Aquaculture: analytical methods; incorporation in the feed; residual depletion; and withdrawal period estimate

• Grant number: 21/03294-1
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• Start date: December 01, 2021
• End date: June 30, 2024
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Food Science and Technology - Food Science
• Principal Investigator: Jonas Augusto Rizzato Paschoal
• Grantee: Lucas Victor Pereira de Freitas
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto (FCFRP). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Ribeirão Preto , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The intensive Aquaculture systems may increase animal stress, cause the suppression of the immune response, and increase the risk of spreading diseases among fish, which can result in high mortality rates. Currently, the number of regulated medicines for use in the Aquaculture sector is limited. Thus, studies for the inclusion of new alternatives for therapeutic and/or prophylactic drugs in Aquaculture are desirable. In this context, levamisole, an anthelmintic drug used to treat infections caused by nematodes in humans and animals has been studied as an option for use in this sector. Previous studies report that in addition to being effective in controlling pathogenic infections, levamisole has an immunostimulant effect and can be used to reduce the deleterious effects of stress in fish. In this context, this project aims to carry out studies to assess the use of levamisole in Fish Farming. For this purpose, procedures for incorporating this drug into the feed will be evaluated, aiming to obtain a medicated feed with a low risk of leaching the active ingredient into the aquatic environment. Furthermore, an original analytical method will be developed, optimized, and validated using the promising sample preparation techniques, QuEChERS-DLLME, and analysis by LC-MS/MS, aiming to obtain a high selectivity and detectability method for the quantification of levamisole residues in Tambaqui (Colossoma macropomum) fillet samples. The analytical method will be used to analyze samples from a residual depletion study with animals after administering the medicated feed, to estimate the withdrawal period to be recommended, according to the context of food safety intended for human consumption. (AU)

Scientific publications

(7)

(The scientific publications listed on this page originate from the Web of Science or SciELO databases. Their authors have cited FAPESP grant or fellowship project numbers awarded to Principal Investigators or Fellowship Recipients, whether or not they are among the authors. This information is collected automatically and retrieved directly from those bibliometric databases.)

DE FREITAS, LUCAS VICTOR PEREIRA; ALPONTI, ANA LUISA BIGLIASSI; DAMACENO, MARINA ALVES; CAMPANHARO, SARAH CHAGAS; DA SILVA, AGNALDO FERNANDO BALDO; SASANYA, JAMES JACOB; RATH, SUSANNE; PASCHOAL, JONAS AUGUSTO RIZZATO. Levamisole incorporation in fish feed - Ensuring the medication dose and avoidance of leaching into the water. Food Additives and Contaminants Part A-Chemistry Analysis Control Exposure, v. 40, n. 12, p. 17-pg., 2023-11-20. (21/03294-1, 21/11996-6, 21/08152-0)

DE FREITAS, LUCAS VICTOR PEREIRA; ALPONTI, ANA LUISA BIGLIASSI; CAMPANHARO, SARAH CHAGAS; DAMACENO, MARINA ALVES; DA SILVA, AGNALDO FERNANDO BALDO; SOUZA, MARILIA CRISTINA DE OLIVEIRA; ASSANE, INACIO MATEUS; PILARSKI, FABIANA; SASANYA, JAMES JACOB; PASCHOAL, JONAS AUGUSTO RIZZATO. Novel LC-MS/MS strategies combining low-temperature partition extraction and DLLME for sensitive levamisole determination in fish. Food Chemistry, v. 496, p. 13-pg., 2025-12-25. (21/03294-1, 21/08152-0, 21/11996-6)

DE FREITAS, LUCAS VICTOR PEREIRA; SILVEIRA, JULIANA GRELL FERNANDES; DAMACENO, MARINA ALVES; CAMPANHARO, SARAH CHAGAS; DA SILVA, AGNALDO FERNANDO BALDO; MANGABEIRA, DA SILVA JONAS JOAQUIM; PORTELA, ANA CAROLINA VELLOSA; DE JESUS, RAPHAEL BARBETTA; SASANYA, JAMES JACOB; PILARSKI, FABIANA; et al. Evaluating the persistence of malachite green residues in tilapia and pacu fish. ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND PHARMACOLOGY, v. 106, p. 10-pg., 2024-02-17. (17/15052-7, 21/03294-1, 12/18334-0, 18/05536-0, 16/16593-9, 19/06159-8, 21/08152-0)

DAMACENO, MARINA ALVES; DE FREITAS, LUCAS VICTOR PEREIRA; CAMPANHARO, SARAH CHAGAS; DA SILVA, AGNALDO FERNANDO BALDO; SASANYA, JAMES JACOB; PASCHOAL, JONAS AUGUSTO RIZZATO. Development and validation of an LC-MS/MS method for analysing doxycycline in medicated fish-feed and evaluation of top-coating procedures. Food Additives and Contaminants Part A-Chemistry Analysis Control Exposure, v. N/A, p. 12-pg., 2026-01-19. (25/09150-2, 19/06159-8, 21/03294-1, 21/08152-0)

DE FREITAS, LUCAS VICTOR PEREIRA; ALPONTI, ANA LUISA BIGLIASSI; CAMPANHARO, SARAH CHAGAS; DAMACENO, MARINA ALVES; DA SILVA, AGNALDO FERNANDO BALDO; SOUZA, MARILIA CRISTINA DE OLIVEIRA; ASSANE, INACIO MATEUS; PILARSKI, FABIANA; SASANYA, JAMES JACOB; PASCHOAL, JONAS AUGUSTO RIZZATO. QuEChERS vs QuEChERS-DLLME: Toward an eco-friendly, selective, and sensitive method for levamisole determination in fish. Microchemical Journal, v. 215, p. 11-pg., 2025-08-25. (21/11996-6, 21/03294-1, 21/08152-0)

CAMPANHARO, SARAH CHAGAS; DA SILVA, AGNALDO FERNANDO BALDO; BLEUZEN, ANAIS; DA SILVA, JONAS JOAQUIM MANGABEIRA; DE FREITAS, LUCAS VICTOR PEREIRA; ASSANE, INACIO MATEUS; PILARSKI, FABIANA; PASCHOAL, JONAS AUGUSTO RIZZATO. The association of modified QuEChERS and DLLME to offer high analytical detectability to assess residual depletion profile of erythromycin in fish. Food Chemistry, v. 405, p. 8-pg., 2023-03-30. (12/18334-0, 19/06159-8, 17/15052-7, 18/05536-0, 19/22775-0, 21/03294-1)

DE FREITAS, LUCAS VICTOR PEREIRA; DA MOTA, CARLOS AUGUSTO ALVARENGA; DAMACENO, MARINA ALVES; SILVEIRA, JULIANA GRELL FERNANDES; PORTELA, ANA CAROLINA VELLOSA; CAMPANHARO, SARAH CHAGAS; DA SILVA, AGNALDO FERNANDO BALDO; ASSANE, INACIO MATEUS; PILARSKI, FABIANA; SASANYA, JAMES JACOB; et al. Residue Depletion Profile and Estimation of Withdrawal Period for Sulfadimethoxine and Ormetoprim in Edible Tissues of Nile Tilapia (Oreochromis sp.) on Medicated Feed. ANIMALS, v. 13, n. 15, p. 13-pg., 2023-08-01. (21/03294-1, 19/06159-8, 16/16593-9, 18/05536-0, 21/08152-0, 19/22775-0, 12/18334-0)