Antibiotic Definition - Types & Side Effects

Antibiotics are defined as the antimicrobial drugs that are synthesised from other organisms (for example, moulds, fungi, and some soil bacteria) to help fight harmful microorganisms. But they are not very useful against some microbes, which include viruses.

Antibiotics are made on a very large scale with the help of the fermentation process. This is a chemical process that is started by microorganisms such as yeast in a large tank in the absence of an organism. A large tank is made available with the growth medium that secretes nutrition for the microorganism’s growth. Regulation of temperature, pH levels, oxygen levels, and nutrient parameters in the fermentation tank is the most important step to producing antibiotics. After the whole process of antibiotic production is completed, they are taken out of the fermentation tank and purified through many different physical processes. The purified antibiotics are now converted into crystal form in the final stage.

Antibiotic Definition

Antibiotics are defined as the chemical compounds that are responsible for killing or stopping the growth of bacteria. Truly speaking, antibiotics are defined as a further class of organic anti-infective agents that are usually produced from bacteria or moulds that are toxic to many other bacteria and can kill them. But the term "antibiotic" is now used in an easy way to refer to anti-infectives produced from synthetic and semisynthetic compounds.

History of Antibiotic Production

Going back to 1928, Scottish bacteriologist Alexander Fleming saw some colonies of bacteria that were growing on a culture plate, and these colonies had been affected by a mould species. The species is Penicillium notatum. This species had contaminated the whole culture of bacteria.

Some time later, British biochemist Ernst Chain, Australian pathologist Howard Florey, and many other scientists separated out this ingredient responsible for damaging cultures and named it penicillin. These scientists showed that this strain was effective against many serious bacterial infections. At the end of the 1950s, scientists further experimented with the involvement of various chemical groups in the strain of the penicillin molecule to produce semisynthetic versions. Different varieties of penicillin are now available to treat many different diseases caused by different types of bacteria, including those caused by staphylococci, streptococci, pneumococci, gonococci, and the spirochaetes of syphilis.

Different types of antibiotics

1. Penicillins

Antibiotics of this class are also known as "beta-lactam" antibiotics because of their structural formula. The penicillin class comprises five groups of antibiotics that are named as follows:

aminopenicillins antipseudomonal penicillins, beta-lactamase inhibitors, natural penicillins, and the penicillinase-resistant penicillins.

2. Tetracyclines

Tetracyclines are defined as broad-spectrum antibiotics that are effective against many bacteria. These are used to treat conditions such as acne and urinary tract infections (UTIs). These antibiotics are also effective against intestinal tract infections and eye infections. These antibiotics also treat sexually transmitted diseases, periodontitis (gum disease), and other bacterial infections.

3. Cephalosporins

Cephalosporins comprise a total of five generations. These antibiotics have expanded coverage to include gram-negative infections. Newer generations of cephalosporins with updated structures are being developed to provide broader coverage of specific bacteria.Cephalosporins are bactericidal, which means they can kill bacteria and work in a way similar to the way penicillins work.

Cephalosporins are responsible for treating many different kinds of infections that include strep throat, ear infections, urinary tract infections, skin infections, lung infections, and meningitis.

4. Macrolides

Macrolides are a class of antibiotics that can be used to treat community-acquired pneumonia. These antibiotics show effects against pertussis, also known as whooping cough, and also for uncomplicated skin infections, among other susceptible infections. Ketolides are a newer class of antibiotics used to combat bacterial resistance to macrolides.

5. Sulfonamides

Sulfonamides are defined as a group of antibiotics that are responsible for treating some gram-positive and many gram-negative bacteria. Sulfonamides are usually included to treat many urinary tract infections (UTIs). They are used for the treatment or prevention of pneumocystis pneumonia and also for ear infections (otitis media).

Side effects of Antibiotics

There are many different types of antibiotics, which include:

• diarrhoea

• nausea

• vomiting

• rash

• upset stomach

• sensitivity to sunlight when taking tetracyclines

• Low platelet counts can also be seen when cephalosporins and penicillins are taken.

• When taking fluoroquinolones, aches and pains can occur.

• There can be hearing loss when consuming macrolides or aminoglycosides.

• Low granulocytes, defined as a type of low WBC count, can also be observed when consuming penicillin.

• The formation of kidney stones can also be observed when taking sulfonamides.