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 Cefaclor Cefamandole Cefmetazole Cefonicid Ceforanide Cefotetan Cefoxitin Cefprozil Cefuroxime Loracarbef Flomoxef Cefbuperazone Cefotiam Cefminox
3rd generation Ceftazidime Cefdinir Cefditoren Cefetamet Cefixime Cefmenoxime Cefoperazone Cefotaxime Cefpiramide Cefpodoxime Cefsulodin Ceftibuten Ceftizoxime Ceftriaxone Latamoxef Cefcapene Cefodizime Ceftolozane
4th generation Cefpirome Cefepime Cefoselis Cefozopran
Others Cefiderocol Ceftaroline Ceftobiprole Nitrocefin |
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 |
