Ornidazole: Comprehensive Profile

The chapter presents the comprehensive profile of ornidazole. The chapter discusses the nomenclature, formulae, elemental analysis, and appearance of ornidazole. Ornidazole has antiprotozoal and antibacterial properties against anaerobic bacteria. Ornidazole is also used in the treatment of severe hepatic and intestinal amoebiasis, giardiasis, and trichomoniasis of the uro-genital tract and bacterial vaginosis. The chapter outlines the methods used for the synthesis of ornidazole. The chapter describes the physical properties of ornidazole, including ionization constants, partition coefficient, solubility characteristics, hygroscopicity, optical activity, particle morphology, crystallographic properties, thermal methods of analysis, spectroscopy, and mass spectrometry. One of the methods of analysis of ornidazole discussed in the chapter is identification, including infrared spectrum, ultraviolet absorption and high-performance liquid chromatography. Several electrochemical methods for the analysis of ornidazole have been reported. The most studied among these methods are based on polarography and voltammetry. The other methods described in the chapter for the analysis of ornidazole are spectroscopic and chromatographic methods of analysis. Ornidazole is readily absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract and vaginal mucosa. The pharmacokinetics of ornidazole have been evaluated in 12 neonates or infants (aged 1–42 weeks) after intravenous infusion of 20 mg/kg over 20 min. Ornidazole is metabolized in the liver and excreted in urine (mainly as conjugates and metabolites), and to a lesser extent in the feces. The major route of elimination entails biotransformations through the liver and through biliary excretion to some extent.