Antimicrobial compounds Flashcards
What do antimicrobials do
target essential biological processes in features of microbes
Antimicrobials must be selective toxicity, what is this process
Targets in antimicrobials must be different to the host to reduced potential off target activity and side effects
Two types of antimicrobial activities
Broad: affects may organisms
Narrow: specific to one group
Definition of:
- Antibiotics
- Antimicrobial
Antibiotics: natural products produced that inhibit or kill other microbes
Antimicrobial: synthetic formulation (based on natural products)
Difference between bacteriostatic and bactericidal agent?
Bacteriostatic: antibacterial agent inhibits bacterial growth, reversible, less effective in immunocompromised patients
Bactericidal: antibacterial agent that kills bacteria, irreversible (penicillin)
Antibacterial modes of action, list 3
Cell wall synthesis
Protein synthesis
Cytoplasmic membrane structure
What type of resistance has penicillin became resistance to
Enzymatic degradation of the drug
In penicillin what is the main action that will target and inhibit cell wall synthesis
beta-lactam ring
What enzymes are produced by bacteria that provide multi-resistance to beta-lactam antibiotics such as penicillin
B-lactamase enzymes
How to overcome B-lactamases, 2 methods
- develop resistant to B lactase
2. Inhibit the B-lactamases with another drug
What can be used to combat antibiotic resistance
- use correct antibiotic
- use correct dose of antibiotic and time span
- use multiple antibiotics to reduce resistance
How does antimicrobial resistance occur?
High level of antibiotics prescribed
Inappropriate prescribing
Patients not finishing course
Use of antibiotics farming and aquaculture
2 types of forms of antimicrobial resistance:
Intrinsic and acquired
How can antibiotic resistance be spread to bacterial strains? What are the 3 mechanisms
Horizontal transfer
Conjugation
Transduction
Transformation
What type of agent is penicillin
Bactericidal
