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 pathogenic bacteria, bacterial infections, and antibiotic medications are widely used in the therapy ...

s or

antimicrobial An antimicrobial is an agent that kills microorganisms (microbicide) or stops their growth (bacteriostatic agent). Antimicrobial medicines can be grouped according to the microorganisms they are used to treat. For example, antibiotics are used aga ...

s. The defining structural component is a furan 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 animal feeds ** Furazolidone ** Nifurfoline ** Nifuroxazide ** Nifurquinazol ** Nifurtoinol ** Nifurzide ** 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 — a formerly used food preservative ** Nifuratel — an antiprotozoal and antifungal ** Nifurtimox — 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

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