Nitrofurans are a class of drugs typically used as
antibiotic
An antibiotic is a type of antimicrobial substance active against bacteria. It is the most important type of antibacterial agent for fighting bacterial infections, and antibiotic medications are widely used in the treatment and prevention ...
s or
antimicrobial
An antimicrobial is an agent that kills microorganisms or stops their growth. Antimicrobial medicines can be grouped according to the microorganisms they act primarily against. For example, antibiotics are used against bacteria, and antifungals ar ...
s. The defining structural component is a
furan
Furan is a heterocyclic organic compound, consisting of a five-membered aromatic ring with four carbon atoms and one oxygen atom. Chemical compounds containing such rings are also referred to as furans.
Furan is a colorless, flammable, highl ...
ring with a
nitro group.
Drugs
Members of this class of drugs include:
* Antibacterials (antibiotics)
**
Difurazone (also known as Nitrovin) — an antibacterial growth promoter used in the animal feeds
**
Furazolidone
Furazolidone is a nitrofuran antibacterial agent and monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI). It is marketed by Roberts Laboratories under the brand name Furoxone and by GlaxoSmithKline as Dependal-M.
Medical uses
Furazolidone has been used in human ...
**
Nifurfoline
**
Nifuroxazide
**
Nifurquinazol
**
Nifurtoinol
Nifurtoinol ( rINN, trade name Urfadyn) is a nitrofuran-derivative antibiotic
An antibiotic is a type of antimicrobial substance active against bacteria. It is the most important type of antibacterial agent for fighting bacterial infectio ...
**
Nifurzide
Nifurzide is a nitrofuran derivative and intestinal anti-infectious agent active against ''Escherichia coli
''Escherichia coli'' (),Wells, J. C. (2000) Longman Pronunciation Dictionary. Harlow ngland Pearson Education Ltd. also known as '' ...
**
Nitrofural (also known as nitrofurazone)
**
Nitrofurantoin — a drug used to treat urinary tract infections
**
Ranbezolid — technically an
oxazolidinone antibiotic bearing a nitrofuran group
* Antimicrobials
**
Furaltadone — an antiprotozoal
**
Furazidine — an antibacterial and antiprotozoal
***
Furaginum — an antibacterial
**
Furylfuramide
Furylfuramide (also known as AF-2) is a synthetic nitrofuran derivative which was widely used as a food preservative in Japan since at least 1965, but withdrawn from the market in 1974 when it was observed to be mutagenic to bacteria ''in vitro'' ...
— a formerly used food preservative
**
Nifuratel — an antiprotozoal and antifungal
**
Nifurtimox
Nifurtimox, sold under the brand name Lampit, is a medication used to treat Chagas disease and sleeping sickness. For sleeping sickness it is used together with eflornithine in nifurtimox-eflornithine combination treatment. In Chagas disease ...
— an antiprotozoal
*
FANFT, a potent nitrofuran derivative tumor initiator. It causes bladder tumors in all animals studied and is mutagenic to many bacteria.
Regulation
The European Union has banned the use of Nitrofurans in food-producing animals. In the 2000s, a number of meat imports were destroyed after nitrofurans were found, including chicken imported from Portugal, and chicken imported from Thailand and Brazil.
References
External links
*
{{Antiprotozoal agent