Determination of the embryotoxic effect of Metronidazole using an in ovo model

Metronidazole is an imidazole group bactericidal antibiotic used against anaerobic bacteria and some protozoa. There is no detailed information about the embryotoxic effect of Metronidazole. This study aims to determine the embryotoxic activity of Metronidazole using an in ovo method. A total of 210 fertile chicken eggs were placed in an incubator, divided into seven equal groups of 30. The first group was considered as the control group. On the seventh day of the study, Metronidazole was administered to the other six groups within 50 μL saline solution at doses of 250, 125, 62.5, 31.25, and 15.62 μg·egg-1 (5; 2.5; 1.25; 0.625; 0.312 mg·kg-1). At the end of the incubation period, the eggs hatched, and the number of live and dead embryos was determined. There were no significant differences in deaths between the groups (P>0.05 in all cases). No anomaly was detected in the macroscopic morphology of the embryos. As a result, it can be stated that Metronidazole may be safe for use during pregnancy. However, it is necessary to conduct molecular and histopathological studies to investigate the effects of this drug on organogenesis, especially in mammalian embryos.