Definition:
Antibiotic: A compound that inhibits the growth or kills bacteria. In recent years, ‘antibiotic’ has become synonymous with ‘antibacterial’.
Antibacterial: A drug, chemical or other substance that kills bacteria (bactericidal) or stops their growth (bacteriostatic).
Antimicrobial: A drug, chemical or other substance that kills, inactivates or slows the growth of microbes, including bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites.
For more information, see AntibioticDB.
| Antibiotic Class | Original source | Examples | Target(s) |
| Aminocoumarins | Actinomycete natural products | Novobiocin Clorobiocin Declovanillobiocin Isovanillobiocin Novclobiocin 101 Vanillobiocin |
DNA gyrase |
| Aminoglycosides (incl. aminocyclitols) | Actinomycete natural products or (semi)synthetically derived | Streptomycin Kanamycin Amikacin Gentamicin Capreomycin Plazomicin Apramycin* Arbekacin Dibekacin Hygrovetine* Isepamicin Neomycin Netilmicin Paromomycin Sisomicin Spectinomycin Tobramycin Ribostamycin Micronomicin Dihydrostreptomycin Framycetin Bekanamycin |
Ribosome |
| Ansamycins (incl. Rifamycins) (macrolides) |
Actinomycete natural products or (semi)synthetically derived | Rifampicin Rifabutin Rifapentine Rifaximin Rifamycin Geldanamycin |
RNA polymerase
Hsp90 |
| β-lactams (carbapenems) | Actinomycete natural product-derived | Imipenem Meropenem Biapenem Doripenem Ertapenem Faropenem Olivanic acid Panipenem Razupenem Ritipenem Sanfetrinem Tebipenem Tomopenem |
Cell wall biosynthesis |
| β-lactams (cephalosporins incl. cephems) | Fungal natural products or (semi)synthetically derived | 1st generation Cefadroxil Cefalonium Cefazolin Cephalexin Cephaloridine Cephalotin Cephapirin Cephradine Cefacetrile Cephaloglycin Cefroxadine Cefazedone Cefatrizine Ceftezole 2nd generation 3rd generation 4th generation Others |
Cell wall biosynthesis |
| β-lactams (penicillins) | Fungal natural products or (semi)synthetically derived | Penicillin V (Phenoxymethylpenicillin) Penicillin G (Benzylpenicillin) Amoxicillin Ampicillin Azlocillin Carbenicillin Cloxacillin Dicloxacillin Epicillin Flucloxacillin Hetacillin Methicillin Mezlocillin Nafcillin Oxacillin Piperacillin Sulbenicillin Temocillin Ticarcillin Metampicillin Penamecillin Pivmecillinam Pivampicillin Pheneticillin Amdinocillin (Mecillinam) Carindacillin Carfecillin Cyclacillin Talampicillin Sultamicillin Azidocillin Propicillin Bacampicillin Aspoxicillin Clometocillin Meticillin |
Cell wall biosynthesis |
| β-lactams (monobactams) | Bacterial natural products or (semi)synthetically derived | Aztreonam Nocardicin A Carumonam Gloximonam Oximonam Pirazmonam Tigemonam |
Cell wall biosynthesis |
| β-lactamase inhibitors | (Semi)synthetic | Avibactam Clavulanic acid Durlobactam Enmetazobactam Nacubactam Relebactam Sulbactam Tazobactam Zidebactam Vaborbactam |
β-lactamase enzymes |
| Diaminopyrimidines / trimethoprim derivatives | Synthetic | Trimethoprim Iclaprim Brodimoprim Epiroprim Tetroxoprim |
Folate metabolism |
| Fusidanes | Fungi-derived natural products | Fusidic acid Helvolic acid Cephalosporin P1 |
Ribosome |
| Glycopeptides | Actinomycete natural products | Vancomycin Teicoplanin Dalbavancin Telavancin Oritavancin |
Cell wall biosynthesis |
| Lincosamides | Actinomycete natural products | Lincomycin Clindamycin Pirlimycin* |
Ribosome |
| Lipopeptides | Bacterial natural products | Daptomycin Surfactin |
Cell membrane |
| Nitroimidazoles | Synthetic | Metronidazole Tinidazole Pretomanid Secnidazole |
DNA damage |
| Nitrofurans | Synthetic | Nitrofurantoin Furazolidone Nifurfoline Nifurquinazol Nifurtoinol Nitrovin Nifuratel Nifuroxazide Nifurtimox Nifurzide Nitrofurazone Tinidazole Furagin |
Ribosome |
| Nucleosides | Actinomycete natural products | Puromycin Capuramycin |
Ribosome |
| Oxazolidinones | Synthetic | Linezolid Contezolid Eperezolid Posizolid Radezolid Ranbezolid Sutezolid Tedizolid |
Initiation of protein synthesis |
| Phenicols | Actinomycete natural products or (semi)synthetically derived | Azidamfenicol Chloramphenicol Forfenicol* Tevenel Thiamphenicol |
Ribosome |
| Phenolics | Synthetic | Clofoctol Chloroxylenol Parachlorophenol |
Unclear Antiseptic |
| Pleuromutilins | Fungal natural product or (semi)synthetically derived | Pleuromutilin Retapamulin Lefamulin |
Ribosome |
| Polyketides – type I (macrolides/ketolides) | Actinomycete natural products | Erythromycin Telithromycin Azithromycin Clarithromycin Cethromycin Modithromycin Roxithromycin Spiramycin Midecamycin Rokitamycin Solithromycin Flurithromycin Dirithromycin Oleandomycin Troleandomycin Josamycin Fidaxomicin |
Ribosome
RNA polymerase |
| Polyketides – type II (tetracyclines) | Actinomycete natural products | Tetracycline Doxycycline Tigecycline Omadacycline Eravacycline Chlortetracycline Demeclocycline Meclocycline Methacycline Minocycline Oxytetracycline Metacycline Rolitetracycline Penimepicycline Lymecycline Clomocycline Sarecycline |
Ribosome |
| Polypeptides | Bacillus natural produced or (semi)synthetically derived | Bacitracin Colistin Polymyxin B Tyrothricin Gramicidin Colistimethate |
Cell wall biosynthesis |
| (Fluoro)Quinolones | Synthetic | Nalidixic acid Ciprofloxacin Moxifloxacin Levofloxacin Sitafloxacin Cinoxacin Clinafloxacin Danofloxacin* Delafloxacin Difloxacin* Enoxacin Enrofloxacin* Fumequine Garenoxacin Gatifloxacin Gemifloxacin Grepafloxacin Lomefloxacin Marbofloxacin* Nadifloxacin Norfloxacin Ofloxacin Orbifloxacin* Oxolinic acid Pazufloxacin Pefloxacin Pipemidic acid Prulifloxacin Rufloxacin Sarafloxacin* Sparfloxacin Temafloxacin Trovafloxacin Rosoxacin Piromidic acid Fleroxacin Ozenoxacin Nemonoxacin Garenoxacin Finafloxacin Tosufloxacin Besifloxacin Lascufloxacin Levonadifloxacin |
DNA gyrase & DNA topoisomerase IV |
| Quinolines | Synthetic | Oxyquinoline Chloroxine Dequalinium |
Antiseptic |
| Quartenary ammonium compounds | Synthetic | Benzoxonium Tibezonium Decamethoxine Cetylpyridinium Domiphen |
Antiseptic |
| Streptogramins | Actinomycete natural products or (semi)synthetically derived | Pristinamycin Virginiamycin Dalfopristin Quinupristin |
Ribosome |
| Sulfonamides | Synthetic | Prontosil (sulfamidochrysoidine) Sulfanilamide Sulfabenzamide Sulfacetamide Sulfachlorpyridazine Sulfadiazine Sulfadimethoxine Sulfaguanidine Sulfamerazine Sulfameter Sulfamethazine Sulfamethizole Sulfamethoxazole Sulfamethoxypyridazine Sulfamonomethoxine Sulfamylon Sulfanitran* Sulfaphenazole Sulfapyridine Sulfaquinoxaline* Sulfathiazole Sulfisoxazole Sulfametomidine Sulfamazone Sulfalene Sulfadoxine Sulfametrole Sulfaperin Sulfamoxole Sulfathiourea Mafenide |
Folate metabolism |
| Arsenic compounds | Synthetic | Arsphenamine (Salvarsan) | Not clear |
| Diarylquinolines | Synthetic | Bedaquiline | Proton pump inhibitor |
| Riminophenazines | Synthetic | Clofazimine | DNA binding |
| Amino acid derivatives | Actinomycete natural products | Cycloserine | Cell wall biosynthesis |
| Phosphonic acid derivatives | Actinomycete natural products | Fosfomycin | Cell wall biosynthesis |
| N-substituted ethylenediamines | Synthetic | Ethambutol | Cell wall biosynthesis |
| Hydrazide derivatives | Synthetic | Isoniazid | NADH-dependent enoyl reductase |
| Medium-chain fatty acids | Pseudomonas natural product | Mupirocin (Pseudomonic acid A) | Protein synthesis |
| Pyrazines | Synthetic | Pyrazinamide | Not clear |
| Polychloro phenoxy phenols | Synthetic | Triclosan | Fatty acid synthesis |
| Nicotinamide derivatives | Synthetic | Ethionamide | Cell wall biosynthesis |
| Biguanides | Synthetic | Chlorhexidine | Antiseptic |
| Hexamines | Synthetic | Methenamine | Nonspecific |
| Depsipeptides | Fungal natural product | Fusafungine | Unclear |
| Aminosalicylates | Synthetic | Aminosalicylic acid | Folate metabolism |
| Benzenesulfonyls | Synthetic | Dapsone | Folate metabolism |
| Peroxides | Synthetic | Benzoyl peroxide | Antiseptic |
| Pyridinium derivatives | Synthetic | Pyrithione | Antiseptic |
| N-acyl-alpha amino acids | Synthetic | Cilastatin | Human dehydropeptidase (Co-administration with imipenem) |
Tags: