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 Furan is a Heterocyclic compound, heterocyclic organic compound, consisting of a five-membered aromatic Ring (chemistry), ring with four carbon Atom, atoms and one oxygen atom. Chemical compounds containing such rings are also referred to as f ...

ring with a

nitro group In organic chemistry, nitro compounds are organic compounds that contain one or more nitro functional groups (). The nitro group is one of the most common explosophores (functional group that makes a compound explosive) used globally. The nit ...

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 Nifuroxazide (INN) is an oral nitrofuran antibiotic, patented since 1966 and used to treat colitis and diarrhea in humans and non-humans. It is sold under the brand names Ambatrol, Antinal, Bacifurane, Diafuryl (Turkey), Benol (Pakistan), Pérab ...

Nifurquinazol Nifurquinazol (NF-1088) is an antibacterial agent of the nitrofuran Nitrofurans are a class of drugs typically used as antibiotics or antimicrobial An antimicrobial is an agent that kills microorganisms (microbicide) or stops their growth (b ...

Nifurtoinol Nifurtoinol (rINN, trade name Urfadyn) is a nitrofuran-derivative antibiotic used in the treatment of urinary tract infection A urinary tract infection (UTI) is an infection that affects a part of the urinary tract. Lower urinary tract in ...

Nifurzide Nifurzide is a nitrofuran derivative and intestinal anti-infectious agent active against ''Escherichia coli''. Synthesis : Esterification of 5-nitrothiophene-2-carboxylic acid (1) with ethanol gives the ester (2). Treatment with hydrazine forms ...

Nitrofural Nitrofurazone (INN, trade name Furacin) is an antimicrobial organic compound belonging to the nitrofuran class. It is most commonly used as a topical antibiotic ointment. It is effective against gram-positive bacteria, gram-negative bacteria, ...

(also known as nitrofurazone) **

Nitrofurantoin Nitrofurantoin, sold under the brand name Macrobid among others, is an antibacterial medication of the nitrofuran class used to treat urinary tract infections (UTIs), although it is not as effective for kidney infections. It is taken by mouth ...

— a drug used to treat urinary tract infections **

Ranbezolid Ranbezolid (RBx7644) is an oxazolidinone antibacterial 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 med ...

— technically an oxazolidinone antibiotic bearing a nitrofuran group * Antimicrobials **

Furaltadone Furaltadone is a chemical compound from the group of nitrofurans, as it contains a 5-nitrofuran ring. Furaltadone is classified as a synthetic antibiotic. It was patented in 1957. Properties Furaltadone has a chirality (chemistry), chiral carbo ...

— 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

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