Safety Assessment of Repeated Oral Administration of Tolfenamic Acid in Japanese Quails - Haematological, Biochemical and Histopathological Evaluations

Sep 30, 2026

Uploaded by Eliana

This study evaluated the safety profile of tolfenamic acid after repeated oral administration in Japanese quails (Coturnix coturnix japonica) at 2 and 8 mg/kg given every 12 hours for 7 days. Forty-two quails were assigned to saline control or tolfenamic acid dose groups, and safety was assessed using haematological, biochemical, and histopathological parameters. Blood analyses showed no significant group differences, aside from reduced MCHC at 8 mg/kg. Biochemistry indicated stable liver and kidney markers with no significant changes. Histology revealed significant dose-related liver and renal microscopic alterations, and lymphoid tissue depletion in the spleen, suggesting potential early or subclinical injury despite largely normal biochemical indices.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages11

Reading Time28 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Objective

Methods

Results

Conclusion

Introduction

Background on quail production and disease

NSAIDs and tolfenamic acid rationale

Evidence gaps in avian safety

Veterinary Medicine and Science ORIGINAL ARTICLE Poultry Safety Assessment of Repeated Oral Administration of Tolfenamic Acid in Japanese Quails: Haematological, Biochemical and Histopathological Evaluations Fatih Hatipoglu1, 2 Ayday Cunusova2 Nariste Kadiraliyeva2 Nur Abdimanap Uulu2 Burak Mete3 Orhan Corum4 Kamil Uney3 1 Department of Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Selcuk University, Konya, Türkiye 2 Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Kyrgyz-Turkish Manas University, Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan 3 Department of Pharmacology-Toxicology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Selcuk University, Konya, Türkiye 4 Department of Pharmacology-Toxicology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Hatay Mustafa Kemal University, Hatay, Türkiye Correspondence: Fatih Hatipoglu ([fhatip@selcuk.edu.tr](fhatip@selcuk.edu.tr)) Received: 27 February 2025 Revised: 10 June 2025 Accepted: 11 December 2025 Keywords: biochemistry | haemogram | histopathology | quail | tolfenamic acid ABSTRACT Objective: This study evaluated the safety profile of tolfenamic acid following repeated oral administration in Japanese quails (Coturnix coturnix japonica) at doses of 2 and 8 mg/kg every 12 h for 7 days. Methods: The 42 quails were randomly assigned to three groups. The first group (n = 6) received saline orally every 12 h for 7 days. The second (n = 18) and third (n = 18) groups were administered tolfenamic acid at doses of 2 and 8 mg/kg, respectively, orally every 12 h for 7 days, totalling 14 doses. The safety profile of tolfenamic acid was evaluated by haematological, biochemical and histopathological parameters. Results: Haematological analysis revealed no significant differences across groups, except for a decreased mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration in the 8 mg/kg group. Biochemical assessments indicated stable liver and kidney function markers, as no significant changes were observed in alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, total cholesterol, albumin or creatinine levels. However, histopathological examinations showed significant liver changes, including hydropic degeneration and bile duct proliferation, as well as renal tubular epithelial degeneration, particularly in the higher dose group. Notably, lymphoid tissue depletion was observed in the spleen of treated birds. Conclusion: These findings indicate that tolfenamic acid administration does not adversely affect haematological or biochemical parameters. Although biochemical parameters remained normal, histopathological changes such as tissue damage may indicate early or subclinical injury that could impair organ function over time. These microscopic alterations might lead to long-term health issues in quails, even without biochemical abnormalities. Therefore, cautious dosing and regular tissue monitoring are important when using tolfenamic acid. 1 Introduction Quails, like chickens, belong to the Galliformes order and the Phasianidae family, and they were first domesticated in Japan in 1595. Progress in quail production has been hindered by several management factors as well as infectious and non-infectious diseases. Infectious diseases are particularly common among quail raised in intensive production systems. This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. © 2026 The Author(s) . Veterinary Medicine and Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd. Veterinary Medicine and Science, 2026; 12:e70770 1 of 11 [https://doi.org/10.1002/vms3.70770](https://doi.org/10.1002/vms3.70770) Since quail are closely related to poultry, many diseases affecting quail are like those affecting chickens and turkeys (El-Ghany 2019) . Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are widely used in the treatment of inflammatory musculoskeletal diseases in both humans and animals. NSAIDs work by inhib

FAQs

How were Japanese quails treated in this safety assessment study?

Forty-two quails were divided into a saline control group and two tolfenamic acid groups receiving 2 mg/kg or 8 mg/kg orally every 12 hours for 7 days.

Did tolfenamic acid cause significant changes in haematological or biochemical parameters?

Haematological results showed no significant differences across groups except a decreased mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration in the 8 mg/kg group. Biochemical markers of liver and kidney function remained stable with no significant changes.

What adverse findings were observed at the tissue level?

Histopathology showed significant liver changes (hydropic degeneration and bile duct proliferation) and renal tubular epithelial degeneration, particularly at the higher dose. Lymphoid tissue depletion was also observed in the spleen.

Sep 30, 2026

Uploaded by Eliana