Pharmaceutical Microbiology

Clinical and pharmacological significance of synergism, antagonism and additive effects of drugs or pharmacological compounds

The terms synergistic effect (synergism), antagonistic effect (antagonism) and additive effect are all clinical and pharmacological phrases that have clinical applications in drug administration in real life. They are also applied in research particularly in novel drug discovery, drug testing and therapeutic drug applications. Chemical reactions in chemistry happen when two compounds or more react […]

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Antimicrobial Agents & Antibiotics, Pharmaceutical Microbiology, , , , , , ,

ISONIAZID – anti-tuberculosis (TB) drug

Isoniazid or isonicotinyl hydrazine (INH) is a first-line antibiotic used for the treatment of tuberculosis (TB), a droplet bacterial infection caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis. TB is a highly infectious diseases that is mainly spread via the respiratory tract of infected persons to susceptible human hosts through sneezes, cough and saliva or aerosols that contain the

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Antimicrobial Agents & Antibiotics, Pharmaceutical Microbiology, , ,

CHLORAMPHENICOL

Chloramphenicol is a protein synthesis inhibitor but the antibiotic unlike other drugs that interfere with bacterial protein biosynthesis (e.g. tetracycline and aminoglycosides) binds to the 50S ribosomal subunit of the target bacterial ribosome the same manner that macrolides (e.g. erythromycin) exhibit their antibacterial activity. Chloramphenicol and erythromycin exhibit similar modes of antibacterial action or activity

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Antimicrobial Agents & Antibiotics, Pharmaceutical Microbiology, ,

MECHANISMS OF TRANSFER OF RESISTANCE GENES IN BACTERIA

  Below are some of the major ways through which bacteria pass on their antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) to other susceptible non–resistant bacteria in their environment: TRANSDUCTION Transduction is simply defined as the transfer of genetic material (i.e. exogenous or foreign DNA molecule) between bacteria by bacteriophages (bacterial viruses). It is the transfer of DNA

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Antibiotic Resistance / Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR), Antimicrobial Agents & Antibiotics, Pharmaceutical Microbiology, , , , , ,

GENETIC BASIS OF ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANCE

Genetic resistance of microbes to antibiotics is due to a chromosomal mutation in the bacterial DNA or acquisition of antibiotic resistance genes on plasmids or transposons from other bacteria. Bacteria are extremely ingenious in becoming resistant to antibiotics directed towards them because they are able to regulate their drug resistance genes over time. This is

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Antibiotic Resistance / Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR), Antimicrobial Agents & Antibiotics, Pharmaceutical Microbiology,

METALLO-β-LACTAMASE (MBL) – detection methods

Metallo-beta-lactamases (MBLs) are beta-lactamase enzymes produced by pathogenic bacteria, and which hydrolyzes the carbapenems (e.g. imipenem, meropenem, and ertapenem) and render the antibiotics ineffective for treatment. They are encoded by genes that have been procured by pathogenic bacteria either by mutation or by horizontal gene transfer from other resistant microbes. MBLs efficiently hydrolyze all beta-lactam

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Antibiotic Resistance / Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR), Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing (AST) & Antibiogram, Microbe Lab, Pharmaceutical Microbiology, , ,

EXTENDED SPECTRUM β-LACTAMASE (ESBL) – detection methods

Extended spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBLs) are beta-lactamase enzymes that breakdown or hydrolyze broad-spectrum beta-lactam drugs especially the third-generation oxyimino-cephalosporins (e.g. ceftazidime, ceftriaxone and cefotaxime). There is no consensus for the actually definition of ESBLs; but the acronym “ESBL” was originally coined to reflect the expanded substrate spectrum of the earlier beta-lactamase enzymes (e.g. TEM- and SHV-enzymes).

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Antibiotic Resistance / Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR), Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing (AST) & Antibiogram, Microbe Lab, Pharmaceutical Microbiology, , , , , , ,

ANTIMICROBIAL PROPERTIES OF LICHEN SECONDARY METABOLITES

Lichens possess varying antimicrobial properties; and they have been shown to be active against a plethora of pathogenic microorganisms including bacteria, fungi and viruses. Many reviews and research papers have well expanded and documented the biological and pharmacological importance of lichen secondary metabolites. Lichens and lichen compounds have long been used by Native Americans, the

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Pharmaceutical Microbiology, Antimicrobial Agents & Antibiotics, ,

Materials from the iAMR team for teaching & illustrating AMR

Are you looking for more information about Antibiotic Resistance or antimicrobial resistance (AMR)? Do you need a video or graphic to illustrate AMR to your class or share to your social media followers? Check out some of the resources in the ever-growing AMR library curated by the iAMResponsible team, which is an affiliate of the

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Antibiotic Resistance / Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR), Pharmaceutical Microbiology, , , , , , ,

BETA-LACTAMASE: an important resistance mechanism in bacteria

Beta-lactamases are enzymes secreted by both Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria, and which have the ability to hydrolyze (breakdown) beta-lactam antibiotics. Beta-lactamases are responsible for bacterial resistance to broad class of-beta-lactam antibiotics, including the penicillins, cephalosporins and carbapenems. They provide antibiotic resistance in pathogenic bacteria by breaking the antibiotic structure, thereby leaving a molecule

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Antibiotic Resistance / Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR), Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing (AST) & Antibiogram, Pharmaceutical Microbiology, ,