Penicillin

What are penicillin antibiotics, and what are they used for? Penicillins are antibiotics used to treat Penicillin antibiotics stop bacteria from multiplying by preventing bacteria from forming the walls that surround them. The walls are necessary to protect the bacteria from their environment, and to keep the contents of the bacterial cell together. Bacteria cannot survive without a cell wall. Penicillin antibiotics are most effective when bacteria are actively multiplying and forming cell walls. Today, many derivatives of penicillin have been developed that inhibit more types of bacteria than the original life-saving drug. Penicillin itself is active against • streptococci (including • • Clostridium, • Peptococcus, and • Peptostreptococcus. However, most staphylococci now are resistant to penicillin. Other penicillin antibiotics are effective against • H. influenzae, • • certain • • • • many other types of bacteria. Penicillin antibiotics are used to treat many types of infections caused by susceptible bacteria. They are used to treat infections of the middle ear, sinuses, stomach and • • blood infections ( • uncomplicated • • • other serious infections. In 1928, Alexander Fleming noted that Penicillium inhibited the growth of bacteria. Fleming called this unknown antibacterial substance penicillin. Ten years later, a group at Oxford University began to investigate penicillin in laboratory mice. Penicillin was hailed as a miracle drug and saved countless lives in World Wa...

Proper Use Drug information provided by: Penicillins (except bacampicillin tablets, amoxicillin, penicillin V, pivampicillin, and pivmecillinam) are best taken with a full glass (8 ounces) of water on an empty stomach (either 1 hour before or 2 hours after meals) unless otherwise directed by your doctor. For patients taking amoxicillin, penicillin V, pivampicillin, and pivmecillinam: • Amoxicillin, penicillin V, pivampicillin, and pivmecillinam may be taken on a full or empty stomach. • The liquid form of amoxicillin may also be taken by itself or mixed with formulas, milk, fruit juice, water, ginger ale, or other cold drinks. If mixed with other liquids, take immediately after mixing. Be sure to drink all the liquid to get the full dose of medicine. For patients taking bacampicillin: • The liquid form of this medicine is best taken with a full glass (8 ounces) of water on an empty stomach (either 1 hour before or 2 hours after meals) unless otherwise directed by your doctor. • The tablet form of this medicine may be taken on a full or empty stomach. For patients taking penicillin G by mouth: • Do not drink acidic fruit juices (for example, orange or grapefruit juice) or other acidic beverages within 1 hour of taking penicillin G since this may keep the medicine from working properly. For patients taking the oral liquid form of penicillins: • This medicine is to be taken by mouth even if it comes in a dropper bottle. If this medicine does not come in a dropper bottle, use ...

Penicillins are a group of antibacterial drugs that attack a wide range of bacteria. They were the first drugs of this type that doctors used. The discovery and manufacture of penicillins have changed the face of medicine, as these drugs have saved millions of lives. Penicillium fungi are the source of penicillin, which people can take orally or via injection. People across the globe now widely use penicillins to treat infections and diseases. Share on Pinterest Penicillins work by bursting the cell wall of bacteria. Drugs in the penicillin class work by indirectly bursting bacterial cell walls. They do this by acting directly on peptidoglycans, which play an essential structural role in bacterial cells. Peptidoglycans create a mesh-like structure around the plasma membrane of bacterial cells, which increases the strength of the cell walls and prevents external fluids and particles from entering the cell. When a bacterium multiplies, small holes open up in its cell walls as the cells divide. Newly-produced peptidoglycans then fill these holes to reconstruct the walls. Penicillins As the water concentration of the surrounding fluid is higher than that inside the bacterium, water rushes through the holes into the cell and the bacterium bursts. People generally attribute the discovery of penicillins to Alexander Fleming. The story goes that he returned to his laboratory one day in September 1928 to find a Petri dish containing Staphylococcus bacteria with its lid no longer in...

Penicillins are a type of antibiotic derived from Penicillium fungi. An antibiotic is a type of medicine that inhibits the growth of, or kills, bacteria. Penicillin G (also called benzylpenicillin) was discovered by accident in 1928. Alexander Fleming, a Scottish physician-scientist was growing a type of bacteria called Staphylococcus aureus on an uncovered petri dish when it became contaminated with mold spores. He observed that the areas of bacteria near the mold were dying. He isolated the substance from the mold that was killing the bacteria and called it penicillin. Another naturally occurring penicillin, penicillin V, was later isolated from the same mold. All other penicillins are semi-synthetic (made by modifying the structure of the original naturally occurring penicillins). Modification extends their spectrum of activity, allows them to be taken orally, and increases their resistance against penicillinase, an enzyme produced by some bacteria that inactivates penicillin. Penicillins work by preventing the cross linking of amino acid chains in the bacterial cell wall. This does not affect pre-existing bacteria, but newly produced bacterial cells have weak cell walls that easily rupture. What are penicillins used for? Penicillins may be used to treat a wide range of infections caused by susceptible bacteria, such as: • • Ear infections (eg, • • • • Rheumatic • • • What are the differences between penicillins? The natural penicillins ( Modern semi-synthetic penicilli...

Antibiotics are used to treat or prevent some types of bacterial infection. They work by killing bacteria or preventing them from spreading. But they do not work for everything. Many mild bacterial infections get better on their own without using antibiotics. Antibiotics do not work for viral infections such as colds and flu, and most coughs. Antibiotics are no longer routinely used to treat: • chest infections • ear infections in children • sore throats When it comes to antibiotics, take your doctor's advice on whether you need them or not. Antibiotic resistance is a big problem – taking antibiotics when you do not need them can mean they will not work for you in the future. When antibiotics are needed Antibiotics may be used to treat bacterial infections that: • are unlikely to clear up without antibiotics • could infect others • could take too long to clear without treatment • carry a risk of more serious complications People at a high risk of infection may also be given antibiotics as a precaution, known as antibiotic prophylaxis. Read more about How to take antibiotics Take antibiotics as directed on the packet or the patient information leaflet that comes with the medicine, or as instructed by your GP or pharmacist. Antibiotics can come as: • tablets, capsules or a liquid that you drink – these can be used to treat most types of mild to moderate infections in the body • creams, lotions, sprays and drops – these are often used to treat skin infections and eye or ear i...

\( \newcommand\) • • • • • The penicillins were the first antibiotics discovered as natural products from the mold Penicillium. Introduction In 1928, Sir Alexander Fleming, professor of bacteriology at St. Mary's Hospital in London, was culturing Staphylococcus aureus. He noticed zones of inhibition where mold spores were growing. He named the mold Penicillium rubrum. It was determined that a secretion of the mold was effective against Gram-positive bacteria. Figure 1: Beta Lactam Structure Penicillins as well as cephalosporins are called beta-lactam antibiotics and are characterized by three fundamental structural requirements: the fused beta-lactam structure (shown in the blue and red rings, a free carboxyl acid group (shown in red bottom right), and one or more substituted amino acid side chains (shown in black). The lactam structure can also be viewed as the covalent bonding of pieces of two amino acids - cysteine (blue) and valine (red). Penicillin-G where R = an ethyl pheny group, is the most potent of all penicillin derivatives. It has several shortcomings and is effective only against gram-positive bacteria. It may be broken down in the stomach by gastric acids and is poorly and irregularly absorbed into the blood stream. In addition many disease producing staphylococci are able to produce an enzyme capable of inactivating penicillin-G. Various semisynthetic derivatives have been produced which overcome these shortcomings. Powerful electron-attracting groups attach...