Penicillin And Its Use
Penicillin is an antibiotic derived from the fungus, penicillum. This amazing discovery in medicine is thanks to Alexander Fleming, a Scottish bacteriologist. He discovered penicillin in 1928.
However, experts only managed to produce it in larger quantities 10 years later. The people responsible for this task were, among others, professionals, the biochemist, Ernst Boris Chain, and the pathologist, Howard Florey.
Penicillin is an antibiotic that belongs to the family of beta-lactam ( β-lactam ). This antibiotic has a wide range of actions and is effective against many different bacteria, such as pneumococci, streptococci, clostridium tetani (which triggers tetanus) and meningococci, among others.
We say that it was a fantastic discovery in medicine, because when it was discovered, it helped eradicate several diseases that were fatal to patients at that time. These included sepsis, gonorrhea and even scarlet fever.
However, health professionals have significantly abused the prescription of both penicillin and the synthetic and semi-synthetic derivatives that have been discovered over time. As a result, bacteria have become resistant to these antibiotics.
It is a serious global health problem. Today, experts continue to research new mechanisms of action and therapeutic alternatives to combat these resistant bacteria.
What are Betalactam Antibiotics?
In general, these types of antibiotics are narrow-spectrum, as they are only effective against gram-positive bacteria and kill bacteria (however, penicillin is broad-spectrum).
These drugs are given orally or parenterally. They are also very safe because the possible side effects are limited to hypersensitive reactions. However, these reactions should be monitored as they may cause allergic shock.
Although they can cross the placenta, doctors may well give them to pregnant women because of the safety they have shown during clinical trials.
Overall, these antibiotics have many uses:
Types of Betalactam Antibiotics
Among the groups that make up the family of antibiotics, we can find:
- Penicillin
- Cephalosporin
- Monobactam, which fights gram-negative bacteria
- Carbapenem
The mechanism of action: How does penicillin work in the body?
Penicillin is a drug that kills and inhibits the growth of bacteria. For that reason, experts consider it a bactericidal agent. However, it can only kill microorganisms that grow and multiply, not the sleeping types.
In addition, as we mentioned above, pencillin belongs to the group of beta-lactam antibiotics. This family of drugs inhibits the synthesis of the bacterial cell wall structure, which is fundamental to the life of bacteria, to kill these microorganisms.
To do so, it inhibits the transpeptidation process and ultimately prevents the synthesis of peptidoglycan. Overall, antibiotics must enter the cells and bind the proteins to the penicillin when it is there.
Side effects: Allergy to pencillin
Although penicillin is relatively safe, it can cause several side effects. Among them, there is a hypersensitivity or allergy to pencillin. Although this is the most significant side effect, the degree of it varies from patient to patient. Symptoms include:
- Episodic skin rash
- Hives
- Allergic shock
Other reactions that this drug can trigger are disorders of the gastrointestinal tract, such as diarrhea, nausea and vomiting, and additional infections, such as candidiasis.
Conclusion on penicillin
The discovery of penicillin was a breakthrough in medicine. This drug has helped eradicate many of the deadly diseases over time.
However, abuse of this drug, as well as other discoveries, has led to the development of resistance to antibiotics. These antibiotics have therefore lost their effectiveness significantly. There is therefore a need for new types of antibiotics.
