Fenbendazole is a broad spectrum
benzimidazole
Benzimidazole is a heterocyclic aromatic organic compound. This bicyclic compound may be viewed as fused rings of the aromatic compounds benzene and imidazole. It is a colorless solid.
Preparation
Benzimidazole is produced by condensation of o- ...
anthelmintic
Anthelmintics or antihelminthics are a group of antiparasitic drugs that expel parasitic worms (helminths) and other internal parasites from the body by either stunning or killing them and without causing significant damage to the host. They may a ...
used against gastrointestinal parasites including:
giardia
''Giardia'' ( or ) is a genus of anaerobic flagellated protozoan parasites of the phylum Metamonada that colonise and reproduce in the small intestines of several vertebrates, causing the disease giardiasis. Their life cycle alternates between ...
,
roundworm
The nematodes ( or grc-gre, Νηματώδη; la, Nematoda) or roundworms constitute the phylum Nematoda (also called Nemathelminthes), with plant-parasitic nematodes also known as eelworms. They are a diverse animal phylum inhabiting a broa ...
s,
hookworm
Hookworms are intestinal, blood-feeding, parasitic roundworms that cause types of infection known as helminthiases. Hookworm infection is found in many parts of the world, and is common in areas with poor access to adequate water, sanitation, an ...
s,
whipworm
''Trichuris trichiura, Trichocephalus trichiuris'' or whipworm, is a parasitic roundworm (a type of helminth) that causes trichuriasis (a type of helminthiasis which is one of the neglected tropical diseases) when it infects a human large intes ...
s, the
tapeworm
Eucestoda, commonly referred to as tapeworms, is the larger of the two subclasses of flatworms in the class Cestoda (the other subclass is Cestodaria). Larvae have six posterior hooks on the scolex (head), in contrast to the ten-hooked Cestodar ...
genus ''
Taenia'' (but not effective against ''
Dipylidium caninum
''Dipylidium caninum,'' also called the flea tapeworm, double-pored tapeworm, or cucumber tapeworm (in reference to the shape of its cucumber-seed-like proglottids, though these also resemble grains of rice or sesame seeds), is a cyclophyllid c ...
'', a common dog tapeworm),
pinworm
Pinworm infection (threadworm infection in the UK), also known as enterobiasis, is a human parasitic disease caused by the pinworm. The most common symptom is itching in the anal area. The period of time from swallowing eggs to the appearanc ...
s,
aelurostrongylus
''Aelurostrongylus'' is a genus of nematodes belonging to the family Angiostrongylidae.
The species of this genus are found in Europe and Northern America.
Species:
*''Aelurostrongylus abstrusus
''Aelurostrongylus abstrusus'' is a species o ...
,
paragonimiasis
Paragonimiasis is a food-borne parasitic disease caused by several species of lung flukes belonging to genus ''Paragonimus''. Infection is acquired by eating crustaceans such as crabs and crayfishes which host the infective forms called metacerca ...
,
strongyles, and
strongyloides that can be administered to
sheep
Sheep or domestic sheep (''Ovis aries'') are domesticated, ruminant mammals typically kept as livestock. Although the term ''sheep'' can apply to other species in the genus ''Ovis'', in everyday usage it almost always refers to domesticated s ...
,
cattle
Cattle (''Bos taurus'') are large, domesticated, cloven-hooved, herbivores. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae and the most widespread species of the genus ''Bos''. Adult females are referred to as cows and adult mal ...
,
horse
The horse (''Equus ferus caballus'') is a domesticated, one-toed, hoofed mammal. It belongs to the taxonomic family Equidae and is one of two extant subspecies of ''Equus ferus''. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million y ...
s,
fish
Fish are aquatic, craniate, gill-bearing animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish as well as various extinct related groups. Approximately 95% of li ...
,
dog
The dog (''Canis familiaris'' or ''Canis lupus familiaris'') is a domesticated descendant of the wolf. Also called the domestic dog, it is derived from the extinct Pleistocene wolf, and the modern wolf is the dog's nearest living relative. Do ...
s,
cat
The cat (''Felis catus'') is a domestic species of small carnivorous mammal. It is the only domesticated species in the family Felidae and is commonly referred to as the domestic cat or house cat to distinguish it from the wild members of ...
s,
rabbits
Rabbits, also known as bunnies or bunny rabbits, are small mammals in the family Leporidae (which also contains the hares) of the order Lagomorpha (which also contains the pikas). ''Oryctolagus cuniculus'' includes the European rabbit specie ...
, most reptiles, freshwater shrimp tanks as
planaria
''Planaria'' is a genus of planarians in the family Planariidae. When an individual is cut into pieces, each piece has the ability to regenerate into a fully formed individual.
Description
Currently the genus ''Planaria'' is defined as fresh ...
and hydra treatments, as well as
seal
Seal may refer to any of the following:
Common uses
* Pinniped, a diverse group of semi-aquatic marine mammals, many of which are commonly called seals, particularly:
** Earless seal, or "true seal"
** Fur seal
* Seal (emblem), a device to impr ...
s.
Drug interactions
Drug interactions may occur if
salicylanilide
Salicylanilide is a chemical compound which is the amide of salicylic acid and aniline. It is classified as both a salicylamide and an anilide.
Derivatives of salicylanilide have a variety of pharmacological uses. Chlorinated derivatives includi ...
s such as
dibromsalan and
niclosamide
Niclosamide, sold under the brand name Niclocide among others, is an anthelmintic medication used to treat tapeworm infestations, including diphyllobothriasis, hymenolepiasis, and taeniasis. It is not effective against other worms such as flukes ...
are co-administered. Abortions in cattle and death in sheep have been reported after using these medications together.
Abortions in domestic ruminants have been associated with concurrent use of anti-trematode therapeutic agents.
Toxicity
Fenbendazole is poorly absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract in most species. The in laboratory animals exceeds 10 g/kg when administered orally.
[
]
Metabolism
Fenbendazole is metabolized
Metabolism (, from el, μεταβολή ''metabolē'', "change") is the set of life-sustaining chemical reactions in organisms. The three main functions of metabolism are: the conversion of the energy in food to energy available to run cell ...
in the liver to oxfendazole
Oxfendazole is a broad spectrum benzimidazole anthelmintic. Its main use is for protecting livestock against roundworm, strongyles and pinworms. Oxfendazole is the sulfoxide metabolite of fenbendazole.
Oxfendazole is an anthelmintic (wormer) co ...
, which is anthelmintic too; oxfendazole
Oxfendazole is a broad spectrum benzimidazole anthelmintic. Its main use is for protecting livestock against roundworm, strongyles and pinworms. Oxfendazole is the sulfoxide metabolite of fenbendazole.
Oxfendazole is an anthelmintic (wormer) co ...
partially gets reduced back to fenbendazole in the liver and rumen
The rumen, also known as a paunch, is the largest stomach compartment in ruminants and the larger part of the reticulorumen, which is the first chamber in the alimentary canal of ruminant animals. The rumen's microbial favoring environment allow ...
. Also, fenbendazole itself is an active metabolite of another anthelmintic drug, febantel.
See also
* Oxfendazole
Oxfendazole is a broad spectrum benzimidazole anthelmintic. Its main use is for protecting livestock against roundworm, strongyles and pinworms. Oxfendazole is the sulfoxide metabolite of fenbendazole.
Oxfendazole is an anthelmintic (wormer) co ...
* Nocodazole
Nocodazole is an antineoplastic agent which exerts its effect in cells by interfering with the polymerization of microtubules. Microtubules are one type of fibre which constitutes the cytoskeleton, and the dynamic microtubule network has several ...
* Praziquantel
Praziquantel (PZQ), sold under the brandname Biltricide among others, is a medication used to treat a number of types of helminthiasis, parasitic worm infections in mammals, birds, amphibians, reptiles, and fish. In humans specifically, it is us ...
References
{{Xenobiotic-sensing receptor modulators
Anthelmintics
Thioethers
Benzimidazoles
Carbamates
Veterinary drugs