Chlortetracycline hydrochloride |
![]() Last updated: 13/09/2025 |
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(Also known as: chlortetracycline HCl) |
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Broad spectrum antibiotic and antimicrobial substance isolated from the microorganism (treptomyces aureofaciens) used in veterinary products and for aquaculture | |
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Mainly used for the prevention of infections of superficial traumatic or surgical wounds | |
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Agricultural livestock including: Poultry, Pigs, Cattle and Fish |
Approval status |
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Approved - usually supplied as a prescription only medicine to be authorised by a veterinarian (POM-V) | |
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Approved |
Chemical structure |
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Chlortetracycline hydrochloride exhibits multiple forms of isomerism, primarily tautomerism, epimerism, and conformational isomerism, due to its complex polycyclic structure and numerous functional groups. The molecule contains several hydroxyl, keto, and amine groups that can undergo tautomeric shifts, especially in aqueous solutions at varying pH levels, leading to dynamic equilibrium between different structural forms. Additionally, epimerisation can occur at the C-4 position, forming 4-epichlortetracycline, a stereoisomer with altered biological activity. | |
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C₂₂H₂₄Cl₂N₂O₈ | |
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CC1(C2CC3C(C(=O)C(=C(C3(C(=O)C2=C(C4=C(C=CC(=C41)Cl)O)O)O)O)C(=O)N)N(C)C)O.Cl | |
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C[C@@]1(C2C[C@H]3[C@@H](C(=O)C(=C([C@]3(C(=O)C2=C(C4=C(C=CC(=C41)Cl)O)O)O)O)C(=O)N)N(C)C)O.Cl | |
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QYAPHLRPFNSDNH-LYNLVHCPSA-N | |
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InChI=1S/C22H23ClN2O8.ClH/c1-21(32)7-6-8-15(25(2)3)17(28)13(20(24)31)19(30)22(8,33)18(29)11(7)16(27)12-10(26)5-4-9(23)14(12)21;/h4-5,7-8,15,26-27,30,32-33H,6H2,1-3H3,(H2,24,31);1H/t7?,8-,15-,21-,22-;/m0./s1 | |
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Yes |
General status |
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Medicinal drug, Bactericide, Antimicrobial, Medicated feed additive | |
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Wood preservative; Antimicrobial; Bactericide; Biocide | |
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Amide pesticide; Tetracycline compound | |
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Natural | |
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Protein synthesis inhibitor | |
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[16S ribosomal RNA, Inhibitor], [30S ribosomal proteins, Inhibitor], [ADP-ribosylation factor 1, Inhibitor], [Catalase, Inhibitor], [Ephrin type-B receptor 1, Inhibitor], [Pancreatic triacylglycerol lipase, Inhibitor], [Protein-arginine deiminase type-4, Inhibitor] | |
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64-72-7 | |
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3671-08-7 | |
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200-591-7 | |
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006301 | |
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54684459 | |
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Dermatologicals: Antibiotics & chemotherapeutics for dermatological use | |
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QD06AA52 | |
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No | |
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Allowed substance (Table 1: All food producing species) | |
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515.3 | |
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(4S,4aS,6S,12aR)-7-chloro-4-(dimethylamino)-1,6,10,11,12a-pentahydroxy-6-methyl-3,12-dioxo-4,4a,5,5a-tetrahydrotetracene-2-carboxamide;hydrochloride | |
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Possible groundwater contaminant | |
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Commercial |
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Current | |||
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1945, first discovered | |||
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Available in a variety of formulations including medicated premix feed, cutaneous sprays, ointments, cutaneous sprays and powders for oral administration | |||
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Chlortetracycline hydrochloride is produced through a fermentation process using the bacterium Streptomyces aureofaciens, which naturally synthesises chlortetracycline as a secondary metabolite. The organism is cultured in a nutrient-rich medium containing sources like starch, peanut meal, calcium carbonate, and corn steep liquor under aerobic submerged conditions for around 120 hours. After fermentation, the broth is acidified and filtered to separate the mycelium. The antibiotic is then precipitated by adjusting the pH and treated with solvents such as 2-ethoxyethanol and isopropanol, followed by the addition of concentrated hydrochloric acid to form the hydrochloride salt. | |||
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As microbial-based products tend to use fermentation-based production processes rather than chemical synthesis, they typically have a lower fossil fuel input in formulation and active ingredient creation, and also have reduced downstream emissions due to biodegradability and minimal soil disruption, their life-cycle GHG emissions are expected to be low. Whilst hard and precise data is not available, broad estimates suggest that typically emissions are likely to be below 5 kg CO₂e/kg. |
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630 | R4 R = Peer reviewed scientific publications 4 = Verified data |
Moderate | ||||||||
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168.5 | V3 V = ChemID Online Databases; Chemspider; PubChem. (ChemID ) 3 = Unverified data of known source |
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2.40 X 10-01 | Calculated | - | |||||||
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-0.62 | V3 V = ChemID Online Databases; Chemspider; PubChem. (ChemID ) 3 = Unverified data of known source |
Low | ||||||||
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4.5 | R4 R = Peer reviewed scientific publications 4 = Verified data |
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2.09 X 10-23 | R4 R = Peer reviewed scientific publications 4 = Verified data |
Low volatility | ||||||||
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4.8 X 10-22 | R4 R = Peer reviewed scientific publications 4 = Verified data |
Non-volatile | ||||||||
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Substance may enter the environment via the faeces of treated animals or by leaching from spilt medicated feed. |
Degradation |
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30 | R3 R = Peer reviewed scientific publications 3 = Unverified data of known source |
Moderately persistent | |||||||
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General literature DT₅₀ range >30 days (R3) | ||||||||||
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44% lost after 30 days | R3 R = Peer reviewed scientific publications Soil and poultry manure at 30°C decreases with decreasing temp3 = Unverified data of known source |
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As this parameter is not normally measured directly, a surrogate measure is used: ‘Photochemical oxidative DT₅₀’. Where data is available, this can be found in the Fate Indices section below. | ||||||||||
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Soil adsorption and mobility |
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Fate indices |
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Low risk | Q3 Q = Miscellaneous data from online sources Based on LogP < 33 = Unverified data of known source |
Low risk | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Known metabolites |
None
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Terrestrial ecotoxicology |
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> 1500 | V3 V = ChemID Online Databases; Chemspider; PubChem. (ChemID ) Mouse3 = Unverified data of known source |
Moderate | ||||||||
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Aquatic ecotoxicology |
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> 0.89 | R4 R = Peer reviewed scientific publications Unknown species4 = Verified data |
Moderate | ||||||||
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128 | F3 F = U.S. EPA ECOTOX database / U.S. EPA pesticide fate database / Miscellaneous WHO documents / FAO data, IPCS INCHEM data (US EPA Databases Related to Pesticide Risk Assessment ) Daphnia magna3 = Unverified data of known source |
Low | ||||||||
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1.62 | F3 F = U.S. EPA ECOTOX database / U.S. EPA pesticide fate database / Miscellaneous WHO documents / FAO data, IPCS INCHEM data (US EPA Databases Related to Pesticide Risk Assessment ) Lemna gibba3 = Unverified data of known source |
Moderate | ||||||||
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3.1 | R3 R = Peer reviewed scientific publications Raphidocelis subcapitata3 = Unverified data of known source |
Moderate | ||||||||
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General |
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High (class III) | - | - | ||||||||
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> 1500 | V3 V = ChemID Online Databases; Chemspider; PubChem. (ChemID ) Mouse3 = Unverified data of known source |
Moderate | ||||||||
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Intraperitoneal LDLo = 335 mg kg⁻¹ | V3 V = ChemID Online Databases; Chemspider; PubChem. (ChemID ) Rat3 = Unverified data of known source |
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Intravenous LD₅₀ = 118 mg kg⁻¹ | V3 V = ChemID Online Databases; Chemspider; PubChem. (ChemID ) Rat3 = Unverified data of known source |
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Mainly eliminated in the faeces | R4 R = Peer reviewed scientific publications 4 = Verified data |
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Health issues |
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No further information available |
Handling issues |
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No information available | |||
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Not listed (Not listed) | |||
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chlortetracycline hydrochloride | ||
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Record last updated: | 13/09/2025 |
Contact: | aeru@herts.ac.uk |
Please cite as: | Lewis, K.A., Tzilivakis, J., Warner, D. and Green, A. (2016) An international database for pesticide risk assessments and management. Human and Ecological Risk Assessment: An International Journal, 22(4), 1050-1064. DOI: 10.1080/10807039.2015.1133242 |