Antibiotics

Antibiotics, also called antibacterials, are drugs that kill or slow the
growth of germs. They include a variety of powerful medications that are used
to treat bacteria-related illnesses. Antibiotics are ineffective against viral
infections such as the common cold, flu, and most coughs. Antibiotics are
specific to the microorganisms being treated and, in general, cannot be used to
treat other infections. Antibiotics are normally safe and have few negative
effects when administered correctly. Health-care experts can assess each
patient individually to identify the appropriate antibiotic, dose, and therapy
duration.

10 Common Antibiotics:

1. Amoxicillin- amoxicillin inhibits penicillin binding proteins, causing

autolytic enzymes to be increased and cell wall production to be
inhibited. Because amoxicillin is commonly taken twice a day, it has a
lengthy duration of effect.

2. Doxycycline- is an antibiotic with a broad spectrum of action. By

attaching to the 30S ribosomal subunit, which is only found in bacteria,
it prevents the creation of bacterial proteins.

3. Cephalexin- is a bactericidal drug that works by inhibiting the formation

of bacterial cell walls.

4. Ciprofloxacin- is a fluoroquinolone antibiotic that is bactericidal. By

blocking bacterial DNA topoisomerase and DNA-gyrase, it prevents DNA
replication.
5. Clindamycin- binds to the 23S RNA of the 50S component of the
ribosome, which suppresses bacterial protein synthesis.

6. Metronidazole- metronidazole enters the body and suppresses protein

production by interacting with DNA, causing strand breakage and loss of
helical DNA structure. As a result, it induces cell death in species that
are vulnerable to it.

7. Azithromycin- azithromycin interacts to the bacterial 50S ribosomal

subunit's 23S rRNA. It inhibits the transpeptidation or translocation
process of protein synthesis as well as the assembly of the 50S ribosomal
subunit, which slows bacterial protein synthesis. As a result, numerous
bacterial infections are controlled. The great affinity of macrolides for
bacterial ribosomes, including azithromycin, is consistent with their
broad antibacterial activity.

8. Sulfamethoxazole and Trimethoprim- by competing with

para-aminobenzoic acid (PABA), sulfamethoxazole inhibits bacterial
dihydrofolic acid production. Trimethoprim binds to and reversibly
inhibits the enzyme dihydrofolate reductase, which is essential for the
formation of tetrahydrofolic acid from dihydrofolic acid.

9. Amoxicillin and Clavulanate- amoxicillin inhibits bacterial cell wall

formation by attaching to penicillin-binding proteins within the bacterial
cell wall. Clavulanic acid is a β-lactam that is chemically similar to
penicillin and has the ability to inhibit specific β-lactamase enzymes.

10. Levofloxacin- is a fluoroquinolone antibiotic that is bactericidal and

inhibits bacterial DNA synthesis directly. In sensitive organisms,
levofloxacin increases DNA strand breaking by blocking DNA-gyrase,
which prevents supercoiled DNA from relaxing.