Synthetic Antibacterial Agents

Abstract

Synthetic antibacterial compounds are divided into topical and systemic agents. Topical agents are called disinfectants or antiseptics depending on how they are used. They show little selectivity between the microbes and the host. Nevertheless, they are indispensable in hospitals, public health, and the home. The development of systemic antibacterial agents had a strong dye connection. Ehrlich's development of selective staining methods led him to propose that dyes may also have selective toxicity for microbes, and to coin the term chemotherapy. Domagk's discovery of antibacterial activity for the azo dye prontosil led to the first effective chemotherapeutic agent, sulfanilamide. This compound provided an excellent lead for structural modification and ushered in the modern era of chemotherapy and drug design. The discovery that sulfonamides act through folate inhibition resulted in the development of dihydrofolate reductase inhibitors such as trimethoprim. The availability of synthetic antibacterials and antibiotics, which were discovered almost concurrently, provided major advances in control of bacterial infections; however, the rise in bacterial resistance prompted the search for newer classes of agents. This search provided fluoroquinolines and oxazolidones. There are also synthetic antibacterials with niche needs, such as nitrofurans and methenamine, which are used for urinary tract infections. Keywords: antibacterial drug; dihydrofolate reductase inhibitors; sulfanilamide; synthetic antibacterial compounds; systemic agents; topical agents