Nitazoxanide

Nitazoxanide is an antiparasitic medication used to treat infections including giardiasis and cryptosporidiosis. It is also active against some bacteria and viruses.

Pyruvate:ferredoxin oxidoreductase: An enzyme that transfers electrons from pyruvate to ferredoxin in anaerobic energy metabolism. Nitazoxanide is thought to disrupt this enzyme-dependent pathway in susceptible anaerobic organisms.
Giardiasis: An intestinal infection caused by the protozoan parasite Giardia duodenalis. Nitazoxanide is an approved treatment option for this parasitic infection.
Metronidazole: An antimicrobial drug used against anaerobic bacteria and several protozoan parasites. It is a commonly used alternative for giardiasis, with a different drug class and adverse-effect profile.
Thiazolide: A class of compounds containing a thiazole ring and associated with nitazoxanide-like antiparasitic activity. Nitazoxanide is the best-known thiazolide and the basis for this drug family.
Ferredoxin: A small iron–sulfur protein that transfers electrons in biological reactions. Its electron-transfer role connects the drug’s proposed target to anaerobic energy production.
Cryptosporidiosis: An intestinal disease caused by Cryptosporidium parasites, often producing watery diarrhea. Nitazoxanide is used for cryptosporidiosis in people with functioning immune systems.
Paromomycin: An aminoglycoside antibiotic that can be used orally for intestinal parasitic infections. It is another option for cryptosporidiosis, though evidence of benefit is limited.
Antiparasitic drug: A medicine that kills parasites or suppresses their growth in a host. This broad category includes nitazoxanide and drugs with narrower parasite targets.
Anaerobic respiration: Energy generation that uses electron acceptors other than oxygen, or proceeds without oxygen. The drug’s proposed antiparasitic mechanism centers on energy pathways used by anaerobic organisms.
Giardia duodenalis: A flagellated protozoan parasite that infects the small intestine of humans and other mammals. It is the parasite responsible for the giardiasis treated with nitazoxanide.

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