Penicillin And Its Uses
Penicillin is an antibiotic derived from the fungus Penicillium chrysogenum . This great discovery in the world of medicine was made by the Scottish bacteriologist Alexander Fleming in 1928. However, it was not mass-produced until a decade later. Biochemist Ernst Boris Chain and pathologist Howard Florey, among others, were responsible for this task.
Penicillin is a beta-lactam antibiotic (β-lactams). This antibiotic has a wide range of effects and is effective in the treatment of many different bacteria such as pneumococci, streptococci, Clostridium tetanus and meningococcus.
Penicillin was indeed an amazing discovery in the medical world at the time, because when it was invented, it helped eradicate several of the very deadly diseases of that era. These included sepsis, or sepsis, gonorrhea, and even smallpox.
Unfortunately, over the years, both penicillin and the synthetic and semisynthetic derivatives developed from it have been misdiagnosed by medical professionals. As a result of this abuse, bacteria have become resistant to these antibiotics. It is a serious global health problem today. Today, experts continue to explore new mechanisms of action and therapeutic options to combat these resistant bacteria.
What are beta-lactam antibiotics?
In general, beta-lactam antibiotics are narrow-acting because they are only effective against gram-positive bacteria. However, penicillin is a broad-spectrum antibiotic, as we have already mentioned.
These drugs can be taken orally or administered parenterally, i.e., outside the gastrointestinal tract. They are very safe because the possible side effects are largely limited to hypersensitivity reactions. However, these reactions need to be managed quickly as they can cause anaphylactic shock. In addition, although beta-lactam antibiotics cross the placenta, they can be prescribed to pregnant women as they have been shown to be very safe antibiotics in clinical trials.
Overall, these antibiotics have many uses.
Different types of beta-lactam antibiotics
Beta-lactam antibiotics belong to the following groups:
- Penicillins
- Cephalosporins
- Beta-lactamase inhibitors
- Monobactams that fight gram-negative bacteria
- Carbapenem
Mechanism of action: how does penicillin work in the body?
Penicillin is a drug that kills bacteria and inhibits their growth. For this reason, experts classify it as a bactericidal drug. However, it can only kill growing and multiplying microorganisms, not those dormant.
As already mentioned above, penicillin belongs to the beta-lactam group of antibiotics. This class of drugs inhibits the synthesis of the bacterial cell wall structure, which is essential for bacterial survival, and thus the bacteria are destroyed.
In this process, penicillin inhibits the transpeptide process and ultimately prevents peptidoglycan synthesis from occurring. The antibiotic must penetrate the cell, where it binds itself to penicillin proteins.
Side effects: penicillin allergy
Although penicillin is a relatively safe drug, it can also cause some side effects. These include hypersensitivity or allergy to penicillin. This is the most significant side effect and its severity can vary from patient to patient. Its symptoms include:
- Intermittent rash
- Hives
- Anaphylactic shock
Other reactions that this medicine can trigger include gastrointestinal disorders such as diarrhea, nausea and vomiting, and infections such as candidiasis, a fungal infection.
Finally
The discovery of penicillin is one of the greatest breakthroughs in medicine. This medication has helped eradicate many deadly diseases and cure countless people.
However, penicillin abuse as well as other, later findings have led to the development of antibiotic resistance. Therefore, these antibiotics have significantly lost their effectiveness and new antibiotics are needed.
