Antimicrobial Agents: Antiprotozoal and Anthelmintic Agents

quinine

a cinchona alkaloid reserved for malarial strains resistant with abortifacient and cinchonism as adverse effects

chloroquine

an antiprotozoal drug for erythrocytic falciparum malaria

amiodiaquine

an antiprotozoal drug for P. falciparum and Plasmodium vivax

primaquine

a gametocidal antiprotozoal drug that can lead to radical cures for P. vivax & ovale and is used for exoerythrocytic stages of malaria

quinacrine

it is primarily used in the treatment of giardiasis but is also effective against tapeworm and malaria, and topically against leishmaniasis

mefloquine

used for multidrug resistant forms of Plasmodium falciparum

metronidazole

one of the most widely used antiprotozoal drug for parasitic protozoa and obligatory anaerobic bacteria

metronidazole

the drug of choice for trichomonas vaginalis

tinidazole

a drug similar to metronidazole and is effective against giardiasis, amoebiasis, and trichomoniasis

nitazoxanide

the first drug to be approved for the chemotherapy caused by Cryptosporidium hominis and interferes with an enzyme used in the anaerobic conversion of pyruvic acid to acetyl CoA

miltefosine

the first developed anticancer drug and listed as a core drug by WHO to treat leishmaniasis that inhibits cytochrome oxidase in mitochondria

pentamidine

used in the treatment of pneumonia caused by opportunistic pathogenic protozoan P. carinii, kala azar, espundia, and is used as an alternative treatment for Trypanosoma brucei

nifurtimox and benznidazole

what is the DOC for American Sleeping Sickness (Chaga's disease) caused by T. cruzi?

Melarsoprol

what is the DOC for African Sleeping Sickness caused by T. brucei?

suramin

it is used for Eastern African Sleeping sickness and has a good synergist action with melarsoprol

stibogluconate

what is the DOC for Visceral leishmaniasis?

albendazole

the drug of choice for Echinococcus and inhibits microtubule synthesis by decreasing glucose uptake

mebendazole

the drug of choice for Ascaris, Pinworm, Whipworm and inhibits microtubule synthesis and depletes glucose inducing paralysis of the worm

pyrantel pamoate

an anthelmintic agent that targets the Ascaris, hookworm, and enterobius infestations and depolarizes the neuromuscular agent of the worm

piperazine

an anthelmintic agent that targets the Ascaris and pinworm and causes flaccid paralysis of helminth

ivermectin

a drug for strongyloides and targets the GABA receptors that causes paralysis

thiabendazole

an anthelmintic agent that affects the microtubular aggregation

diethylcarbamazine

the drug of choice for Bancroftian filariasis

praziquantel

an anthelmintic agent that increases membrane permeability to calcium contraction vacuolization parasite death

niclosamide

an anthelmintic agent for intestinal cestodes only such as T. saginata, D. latum, and H. nana; it inhibits oxidative phosphorylation in mitochondria of cestodes