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 therapy
i. 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
a. Cell wall synthesis inhibitors
BC
• Beta lactam drugs.
• Caspofungins
b. Cell membrane disruptor
APP
• Azole drugs
• Polyene drugs
• Polymyxin B
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
Type (3) Nature of spectrum
a. Very narrow spectrum
b. Narrow spectrum
c. Extended Spectrum
a. Very Narrow Spectrum
• Penicillinases
• Anti staphyloccal drugs
b. Narrow Spectrum
• Penicillin G (Benzyl Penicillin)
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
2. Sulphonamindes
e.g.
Sulfacetamide,
sulfadoxine etc.
3. Tetracyclines e.g.
Oxytetracyclines,
Rolitetracyclines etc.
4. Nitrobenzene derivatives e.g.
Chloramphenicol etc.
5. Macrolide e.g.
Erythromycin,
clarithromycin etc.
6. Polyene antibiotics
e.g.
Nystatin,
amphotericin B etc.
7. Azole antibiotics
e.g.
Diazole (Clotrimazole,
Metronidazole),
Triazole etc.
8. Polypeptides e.g. Polymyxin B
9. Glycopeptides e.g. vancomycin
Type (5) Nature of action
a. Microbiostatic
b. Microbicidal
a. Microbistatic
• Bacteriostatic:
TCS
• Tetracyclines
• Chloramphenicol
• Sulphonamides
• Fungistatic:
AG
• Azole drugs
• Griseofulvin
b. Microbicidal
• Bactericidal:
FB
• Fluoroquinolones
• Beta lactam drugs
• Fungicidal:
• Amphotericin B
Type (6) Source
a. Microbiological origin
b. Semisynthetic
c. Synthetic
a. Microbiological origin
• Fungi:
• E.g. Penicillium species
• Bacteria:
• E.g. Bacillus species
(Bacitracin)
• Soil:
• Streptomycetes,
actinomycetes e.g.
TMC
• Tetracyclines
• Macrolides
• Chloramphenicol
b. Semi Synthetic
AC
• Aminopenicillin (amoxicillin)
• Cephalosporins (Ceftriaxone)
c. Synthetic
SF
• Sulphonamides (co trimoxazole)
• Fluoroquinolones (Ciprofloxacin)
• Certain anti TB
• Certain Antimalarial

Antibiotics