What are Halquinol's uses and side effects?
Halquinol is a feed additive that promotes growth and controls livestock infections. It has broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity and works by inhibiting microbial enzymes, suppressing gut bacteria, fungi, and protozoa. This makes Halquinol an essential veterinary medicine, especially for poultry and pigs.
It was first used in the 1960s to control diarrhea and enteritis in livestock, improve feed conversion and growth, and manage nonspecific digestive disorders. Some of the most popular regions where Halquinol is actively used are Southeast Asia, Latin America, Eastern Europe, and parts of Africa. In this blog, we will look at Halquinol uses and the potential side effects it might cause.
Top 10 Uses of Halquinol
Halquinol has a unique ability to battle against bacteria, fungi, and protozoa without any major systemic absorption. While it is primarily used in veterinary medicine, Halquinol does have limited but notable uses in human medicine, particularly in dermatology and the treatment of gastrointestinal infections. Let’s take a look at Halquinol uses.
1. Growth Promotion in Poultry
Halquinol use in poultry is to improve weight gain and feed conversion by adding it to broiler and layer feed. It prevents subclinical infections and optimizes gut flora to enhance nutrient absorption and growth. Farmers use halquinol as an antibiotic growth promoter alternative to maintain productivity while addressing concerns of bacterial resistance.
2. Control Bacterial Enteritis
Poultry farmers use halquinol to prevent and control the growth of pathogenic gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria such as E. coli. As a result, poultry doesn’t suffer from diarrhea and enteritis, which is often manifested as wet droppings, leading to better water absorption and health.
3. Treatment of Crop Mycosis
Halquinol’s antifungal property makes it useful for managing crop mycosis in birds. This condition (often caused by Candida albicans in the crop) leads to sour crop or thrush. The feed additive, when consumed, inhibits fungi in the digestive tract, helping to clear yeast overgrowth in the crop and restoring normal digestion.
4. Growth Promotant in Pigs
Pig farms add Halquinol to their feeds to improve growth and feed efficiency by reducing subclinical gut infections and improving nutrient absorption. This helps in improving the weight of the pigs and has been traditionally used in many countries. However, the EU banned its use in 2006.
5. Piglet Diarrhea Treatment
Post-weaning diarrhea is a common problem in piglets and is caused by enterotoxigenic E. coli. Halquinol is used to combat this by mixing it in the feed at 60–600 ppm for 5–10 days, which helps kill the E. coli in the gut and reduce hypermotility. This helps the piglet recover from diarrhea and improves survival rates.
6. Salmonellosis in Pigs
Halquinol is used to treat and prevent diarrhea caused by Salmonella infections in pig herds. It acts by restraining Salmonella in the intestine and thereby prevents its outbreaks. In countries like Thailand and Brazil, feed containing halquinol is given to pigs to manage salmonella-associated enteritis, reducing fever and bloody diarrhea.
7. Control of Bacterial and Fungal Infections in Aquatic Species
Though not prominent, Halquinol is now being used to manage diseases in fish and shrimp farms. It has been shown to be effective against vibriosis in marine fish that causes ulcers and death. In studies with turbot (flatfish), halquinol rapidly inactivated Vibrio bacteria and controlled disease manifestation
8. Digestive Infections in Dogs and Cats
An emerging use case of Halquinol is to treat digestive infections in dogs and cats. Many veterinarians have been using halquinol as a supplement to treat bacterial overgrowth or protozoal diarrhea in pets. This is a newer use case, and while not yet mainstream, early interest suggests it may become part of managing pet digestive disorders in the future.
9. Inflammatory Bowel Disease Support in Humans
In some cases of chronic inflammatory bowel diseases, oral halquinol has been found to reduce harmful gut bacteria. While not a primary therapy, its broad antimicrobial effect can assist in managing secondary infections or dysbiosis in IBD patients.
10. Topical Antiseptic for Skin Conditions
Even though not as a whole, some of Halquinol’s components are also used in dermatology. For example, chloroxine is used as an active ingredient in medicated shampoos for dandruff. Additionally, creams containing halquinol analogs are used for skin infections or eczema with a bacterial/fungal component, taking advantage of their broad antimicrobial spectrum.
Industries Where Halquinol Is Used
- Poultry Industry: Halquinol is used to control bacterial enteritis, improve feed efficiency, and promote healthy growth in broiler and layer chickens.
- Pig Industry: It helps manage post-weaning diarrhea, enhances weight gain, and supports gut health in piglets and growing pigs.
- Aquaculture Industry: Halquinol prevents bacterial and fungal infections in fish and shrimp, improving survival rates and growth performance.
- Feed Manufacturing Industry: In feed mills, Halquinol is included in medicated premixes to produce gut-stabilizing, growth-promoting rations for poultry and pigs.
- Human Pharmaceutical Industry: Chloroxine (a component of Halquinol) is used in topical antifungal shampoos and creams and occasionally in GI antiseptics.
- Research & Biotechnology: Halquinol is studied for its effects on the gut microbiome, antimicrobial resistance, and potential in advanced drug delivery systems.
8 Side Effects of Halquinol
Halquinol’s use was banned in the EU in 2006 as a feed additive to promote growth in pigs. While moderate use does show some benefits, overdose for prolonged periods can lead to significant problems in hematological health or overall fitness. So, let’s take a look at the possible side effects of Halquinol.
1. Weight Loss and Growth Depression
Even though Halquinol is used to promote growth in some species, its overdose can lead to the complete opposite. Studies show that excessive doses of halquinol can reduce feed intake and body weight gain. This growth depression is a sign of toxicity at doses well above the growth-promoting range.
2. Gastrointestinal Distress in Animals
In target species like pigs or poultry, significantly excessive inclusion rates could similarly cause loose stools or gut irritation. A 28-day rat study showed that severe diarrhea developed after about 2 weeks on high doses, accompanied by melena (dark, bloody stools). This suggests that while therapeutic doses quell diarrhea, toxic doses inflame the GI tract.
3. Lethargy and Weakness
High halquinol levels have a depressant effect on the central nervous system and muscles. When animals are treated with doses above the specified limit, they exhibit dullness, inactivity, and hind limb weakness, leading to an unsteady gait. This weakness is likely a manifestation of neurotoxicity or severe debilitation.
4. Liver Damage
Research in rats elevated ALT and ALP enzymes and pathological liver changes at intermediate and high dose levels. As a result, Liver-to-body weight ratios increased, and histopathology revealed hepatocellular degeneration and necrosis in overdosed animals. Even though there are no reports of overt liver failure in treated farm animals under normal use, caution is advised if the animal has pre-existing liver disease.
5. Mineral Absorption Interference
Halquinol’s mechanism of action involves the chelation of metal ions like iron, zinc, and copper in the gut. Therapeutically, this helps inhibit microbes by depriving them of essential metals. However, prolonged use might inadvertently reduce the host’s absorption of these minerals.
6. Skin Irritation and Allergy
Halquinol is classified as a Category 2 skin irritant if it comes into direct contact with skin or mucous membranes. Farm workers handling concentrated halquinol powder or premix may experience redness, itching, or rash upon skin exposure. In fact, some individuals may also experience hypersensitivity when exposed to Halquinol.
7. Gastrointestinal Upset in Humans
Unlike antibiotics, halquinol is mostly non-systemic (acts in the gut), so it tends to cause fewer general side effects. However, some patients report gastric discomfort or a bitter aftertaste leading to queasiness. These mild GI side effects usually last for a very short time but are worth noting.
8. Potential Mutagenicity and Carcinogenicity
Even though Halquinol has extensive use cases, its research on long-term safety data is incomplete. Some regulatory bodies have noted concerns about unknown mutagenic or carcinogenic potential at low levels since definitive studies were lacking. This led to many strict regulations, and as a precaution, some countries (like Australia) withdrew halquinol from use because of chronic toxicity data.
Final Thoughts
Halquinol is effective and generally safe when used appropriately in animals. It provides broad antimicrobial coverage with minimal side effects at recommended doses. However, when doses are considerably exceeded or exposure is prolonged beyond typical treatment duration it shows many adverse effects. So, it is essential for farmers to learn about the proper dosages and application of Halquinol.
