Antibiotics Definition, Classes etc.
Antibiotics, Chemotherapeutic agents, anti-infective drugs,
antimicrobial drugs
• Obtained from other microorganisms e.g. bacteria, fungi etc.
OR
• Produced/derived from microorganisms used to suppress the growth or to kill the other microorganisms
NOTE: All antibiotics are chemotherapeutic agents but not all chemotherapeutic agents are antibiotics.
Principle/Base of chemotherapy
• Known as “concept of selective toxicity”.
• Proposed by a scientist “Paul Ehrlich” in 1909. He is now a days considered as “founder of chemotherapy”.
• For the first time, he treated STD i.e. “syphilis” caused by “Treponema pallidum” by using “arsphenamine” or (salvarsan ).℞
• Biochemical difference between microbial cells and human cells provided base for chemotherapy.
Classes of antibiotics
1. Type (1) Nature of microbes/microorganisms
2. Type (2) Mechanism of action
3. Type (3) Nature of spectrum
4. Type (4) Chemistry/chemical structure
5. Type (5) Nature of action
6. Type (6) Source
Type (1) Nature of microbe/microorganisms
a. Antibacterial therapy
b. Antifungal therapy
c. Antiviral therapy
d. Antiparasitic therapyi. Antimalarial drugs
ii. Antiamoebic drugs
e. Antihelminths/ anthelmintic therapy
Type (2) Mechanism of action
a. Cell wall synthesis inhibitors
b. Cell membrane disruptor
c. Protein synthesis inhibitors
d. Folic acid synthesis inhibitors/ folate antagonists
e. DNA, Nucleic acid synthesis/function inbitors
c. Protein synthesis inhibitors
• 30s ribosomal subunit inhibitor:
AT
• Aminoglycosides
• Tetracyclins
• 50s ribosomal subunit inhibitor:
LCM LS
• Lincosamides
• Chloramphenicol
• Macrolides
• Linezolid
• Streptogramin
d. Folic acid synthesis inhibitor/folate antagonist
PTS
• Pyrimethamine
• Trimethoprim
• Sulphonamides
e. DNA, Nucleic acid synthesis/function Inhibitors
• Flouroquinolones
• Quinolones
• Anti malarial
• Anti TB
• Anti parasitic
c. Extended Spectrum
• Wide Spectrum:
ACA
• Ampicillin
• Clarithromycin
• Azithromycin
• Broad Spectrum:
TC
• Tetracycline
• Chloramphenicol
Type (4) Chemistry/ Chemical Structure
1. ß-lactam antibiotics e.g. penicillin, cephalosporin, carbopenems, monobactam
a. Microbistatic
• Bacteriostatic:
TCS
• Tetracyclines
• Chloramphenicol
• Sulphonamides
• Fungistatic:
AG
• Azole drugs
• Griseofulvin
b. Microbicidal
• Bactericidal:
FB
• Fluoroquinolones
• Beta lactam drugs
• Fungicidal:
• Amphotericin B
a. Microbiological origin
• Fungi:
• E.g. Penicillium species
• Bacteria:
• E.g. Bacillus species (Bacitracin)
• Soil:
• Streptomycetes, actinomycetes e.g.
TMC
• Tetracyclines
• Macrolides
• Chloramphenicol