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Antibacterial Agents: History
Please note this is an old version of this entry, which may differ significantly from the current revision.
Contributor: Huanli Gao

Antibacterial agents constitute a family of chemical substances—whether naturally derived, semi-synthetic, or fully synthetic—that possess the capacity to destroy bacteria (bactericidal activity) or to inhibit their proliferation and reproduction (bacteriostatic activity). These agents function by selectively targeting essential bacterial structures or metabolic pathways that are either absent or sufficiently distinct from those of the host organism, thereby achieving selective toxicity [1]. The principal mechanisms of antibacterial action encompass the inhibition of bacterial cell wall synthesis, disruption of cell membrane integrity, interference with protein synthesis through ribosomal targeting, inhibition of nucleic acid metabolism via enzymes such as DNA gyrase and RNA polymerase, and blockade of essential metabolic pathways including folate biosynthesis [2]. Antibacterial agents are classified according to their chemical structure, spectrum of activity (narrow-spectrum agents targeting specific bacterial groups versus broad-spectrum agents active against diverse bacterial taxa), and mechanism of action [3]. The conceptual distinction between antibacterial agents and the broader category of antimicrobial agents lies in their specificity: while antimicrobial agents encompass substances active against all classes of pathogenic microorganisms including fungi, viruses, and protozoa, antibacterial agents are restricted exclusively to bacterial targets [4]. Within the context of bacterial resistance, antibacterial agents are further characterized by their susceptibility to resistance mechanisms harbored by pathogenic bacteria, including enzymatic degradation, efflux pump-mediated expulsion, target site modification, and reduced drug permeability [2].

  • antibacterial agents
  • bacterial activity
  • bacterial resistance
  • antibacterial mechanism

References

  1. J. Vila; J. Moreno-Morales; C. Ballesté-Delpierre; Current landscape in the discovery of novel antibacterial agents. Clin. Microbiol. Infect. 2020, 26, 596-603, 10.1016/j.cmi.2019.09.015.
  2. Manuel F. Varela; Jerusha Stephen; Manjusha Lekshmi; Manisha Ojha; Nicholas Wenzel; Leslie M. Sanford; Alberto J. Hernandez; Ammini Parvathi; Sanath H. Kumar; Bacterial Resistance to Antimicrobial Agents. Antibiotics 2021, 10, 593, 10.3390/antibiotics10050593.
  3. Ina Gajic; Nina Tomic; Bojana Lukovic; Milos Jovicevic; Dusan Kekic; Milos Petrovic; Marko Jankovic; Anika Trudic; Dragana Mitic Culafic; Marina Milenkovic; et al. A Comprehensive Overview of Antibacterial Agents for Combating Multidrug-Resistant Bacteria: The Current Landscape, Development, Future Opportunities, and Challenges. Antibiotics 2025, 14, 221, 10.3390/antibiotics14030221.
  4. Li Shan; Qin Wenling; Panunzio Mauro; Biondi Stefano; Antibacterial Agents Targeting the Bacterial Cell Wall. Curr. Med. Chem. 2020, 27, 2902-2926, 10.2174/0929867327666200128103653.
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