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An antimicrobial is a substance that kills or inhibits the growth of microbes such as bacteria, fungi, or viruses. A microorganism (also spelled micro organism or micro-organism and also called a microbe) is an Organism that is Microscopic (usually The Bacteria ( singular: bacterium) are a large group of unicellular Microorganisms Typically a few Micrometres in length bacteria have A fungus (ˈfʌŋgəs is a eukaryotic Organism that is a member of the kingdom Fungi (ˈfʌndʒaɪ A virus (from the Latin virus meaning Toxin or Poison) is a sub-microscopic infectious agent that is unable Antimicrobial drugs either kill microbes (microbicidal) or prevent the growth of microbes (microbistatic).

The history of antimicrobials begins with the observations of Pasteur and Joubert, who discovered that one type of bacteria could prevent the growth of another. Louis Pasteur (27 December 1822 – 28 September 1895 a French Chemist and Microbiologist, is best known for remarkable breakthroughs in the causes and Joubert is a French language Surname, and may refer to André Joubert, South African rugby player Burt Joubert, They did not know at that time that the reason one bacteria failed to grow was that the other bacteria was producing an antibiotic. Technically, antibiotics are only those substances that are produced by one microorganism that kill, or prevent the growth, of another microorganism. Of course, in today's common usage, the term antibiotic is used to refer to almost any drug that cures a bacterial infection. An infection is the detrimental Colonization of a host Organism by a foreign Species. Antimicrobials include not just antibiotics, but synthetically formed compounds as well.

The discovery of antimicrobials like penicillin and tetracycline paved the way for better health for millions around the world. Penicillin (sometimes abbreviated PCN or pen) is a group of Beta-lactam antibiotics used in the treatment of Bacterial Infections This article deals with the specific antibiotic called tetracycline Before 1941, the year penicillin was discovered, no true cure for gonorrhea, strep throat, or pneumonia existed. Gonorrhea (also gonorrhoea) caused by the bacteria Neisseria gonorrhoeae, is a common Sexually transmitted disease. Streptococcal pharyngitis or streptococcal sore throat ( Strep throat AmE) is a form of Group A streptococcal infection that affects the Pneumonia is an inflammatory illness of the Lung. Frequently it is described as lung Parenchyma / alveolar inflammation and abnormal Patients with infected wounds often had to have a wounded limb removed, or face death from infection. Now, most of these infections can be easily cured with a short course of antimicrobials.

However, the future effectiveness of antimicrobial therapy is somewhat in doubt. Microorganisms, especially bacteria, are becoming resistant to more and more antimicrobial agents. Bacteria found in hospitals appear to be especially resilient, and are causing increasing difficulty for the sickest patients–those in the hospital. Currently, bacterial resistance is combated by the discovery of new drugs. However, microorganisms are becoming resistant more quickly than new drugs are being found, Thus, future research in antimicrobial therapy may focus on finding how to overcome resistance to antimicrobials, or how to treat infections with alternative means.

(antibacterial activity), fungi (antifungal activity), viruses (antiviral activity), or parasites (antiparasitic activity). Antiseptics (from Greek αντί - anti, '"against" + σηπτικός - septikos, "putrefactive" are antimicrobial A fungus (ˈfʌŋgəs is a eukaryotic Organism that is a member of the kingdom Fungi (ˈfʌndʒaɪ An antifungal drug is Medication used to treat fungal Infections such as Athlete's foot, Ringworm, Candidiasis (thrush A virus (from the Latin virus meaning Toxin or Poison) is a sub-microscopic infectious agent that is unable Parasitism is a type of symbiotic relationship between Organisms of different Species. Antiparasitics are a class of Medications which are indicated for the treatment of Infection by Parasites such as Nematodes, Cestodes

Contents

Main classes

Antibiotics

Antibiotics are generally used to treat bacterial infections. In modern usage an antibiotic is a Chemotherapeutic agent with activity against Microorganisms such as Bacteria, fungi or Protozoa An infection is the detrimental Colonization of a host Organism by a foreign Species. The toxicity to humans and other animals from antibiotics is generally considered to be low. Toxicity is the degree to which a substance is able to damage an exposed organism However, prolonged use of certain antibiotics can decrease the number of gut flora, which can have a negative impact on health. The gut flora are the Microorganisms that normally live in the Digestive tract and can perform a number of useful functions for their hosts Some recommend that during or after prolonged antibiotic use, that one should consume probiotics and eat reasonably to replace destroyed gut flora. Probiotics are Dietary supplements containing potentially beneficial Bacteria or Yeasts According to the currently adopted definition by FAO /

The term antibiotic originally described only those formulations derived from living organisms but is now applied also to synthetic antimicrobials, such as the sulfonamides. In Chemistry, chemical synthesis is purposeful execution of Chemical reactions in order to get a product, or several products

The discovery, development, and clinical use of antibiotics during the 20th century has substantially decreased mortality from bacterial infections. The antibiotic era began with the pneumatic application of nitroglycerine drugs, followed by a “golden” period of discovery from approximately 1945 to 1970, when a number of structurally diverse, highly effective agents were discovered and developed. Nitroglycerin ( NG) ( US spelling also known as nitroglycerine, ( UK Spelling trinitroglycerin, trinitroglycerine However, since 1980 the introduction of new antimicrobial agents for clinical use has declined. Paralleled to this there has been an alarming increase in bacterial resistance to existing agents. Antibiotic resistance is the ability of a Microorganism to withstand the effects of Antibiotics. [1]

Antibiotics are among the most commonly used drugs. For example, 30% or more hospitalized patients are treated with one or more courses of antibiotic therapy. However, antibiotics are also among the drugs commonly misused by physicians, e. g. usage of antibiotic agents in viral respiratory tract infection. The inevitable consequence of widespread and injudicious use of antibiotics has been the emergence of antibiotic-resistant pathogens, resulting in the emergence of a serious threat to global public health. The resistance problem demands that a renewed effort be made to seek antibacterial agents effective against pathogenic bacteria resistant to current antibiotics. One of the possible strategies towards this objective is the rational localization of bioactive phytochemicals. Phytochemicals are plant-derived chemical compounds under scientific research for their potential health-promoting properties but with unproved benefits

Antivirals


Main article: Antiviral drug

Antiviral drugs are a class of medication used specifically for treating viral infections. Antiviral drugs are a class of Medication used specifically for treating viral Infections Like Antibiotics for Bacteria, specific antivirals A virus (from the Latin virus meaning Toxin or Poison) is a sub-microscopic infectious agent that is unable Like antibiotics, specific antivirals are used for specific viruses. They are relatively harmless to the host, and therefore can be used to treat infections. Medication, also referred to as medicine, can be loosely defined as any substance intended for use in the diagnosis cure mitigation treatment or prevention of disease They should be distinguished from viricides, which actively deactivate virus particles outside the body. viricide may also refer to the killing of men or husbands see Gendercide.

Most of the antivirals now available are designed to help deal with HIV; herpes viruses, best known for causing cold sores and genital herpes, but actually causing a wide range of diseases; the hepatitis B and C viruses, which can cause liver cancer; and influenza A and B viruses. Human immunodeficiency virus ( HIV) is a Lentivirus (a member of the Retrovirus family that can lead to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome The Herpesviridae are a large family of DNA viruses that cause diseases in animals including humans An oral ulcer (from Latin ulcus) is the name for the appearance of an open sore inside the mouth caused by a break in the Mucous membrane or the epithelium Hepatitis C is a blood-borne infectious disease that is caused by the Hepatitis C virus ( HCV) affecting the Liver. Influenzavirus A is a Genus of the Orthomyxoviridae family of Viruses Influenzavirus A includes only one Species: Influenza A virus Influenzavirus B is a genus in the Virus family Orthomyxoviridae. Researchers are now working to extend the range of antivirals to other families of pathogens.

Antifungals


Main article: Antifungal drug

An antifungal drug is medication used to treat fungal infections such as athlete's foot, ringworm, candidiasis (thrush), serious systemic infections such as cryptococcal meningitis, and others. An antifungal drug is Medication used to treat fungal Infections such as Athlete's foot, Ringworm, Candidiasis (thrush Medication, also referred to as medicine, can be loosely defined as any substance intended for use in the diagnosis cure mitigation treatment or prevention of disease A fungus (ˈfʌŋgəs is a eukaryotic Organism that is a member of the kingdom Fungi (ˈfʌndʒaɪ Athlete's foot, also called Tinea Pedis, is a Parasitic fungal infection of the epidermis of the human foot Ringworm (also called serpigo) is an infection of the skin characterized by a reddish to brownish raised or bumpy patch of skin that may be lighter in the center Candidiasis, commonly called yeast infection or thrush, is a Fungal infection (mycosis of any of the Candida species of which Cryptococcus (literally "Hidden Seed" is a Genus of Fungus. Meningitis is Inflammation of the protective membranes covering the Brain and Spinal cord, known collectively as the Meninges.

Antifungals work by exploiting differences between mammalian and fungal cells to kill off the fungal organism without dangerous effects on the host. Unlike bacteria, both fungi and humans are eukaryotes. Animals Plants fungi, and Protists are eukaryotes (juːˈkærɪɒt or -oʊt Organisms whose cells are organized into complex Thus fungal and human cells are similar at the molecular level. The cell is the structural and functional unit of all known living Organisms It is the smallest unit of an organism that is classified as living and is often called This means it is more difficult to find a target for an antifungal drug to attack that does not also exist in the infected organism. Consequently, there are often side-effects to some of these drugs. In Medicine, an adverse effect is a harmful and undesired effect resulting from a medication or other intervention such as Chemotherapy or Surgery. Some of these side-effects can be life-threatening if the drug is not used properly.

Antiparasitics


Main article: Antiparasitic

Antiparasitics are a class of medications which are indicated for the treatment of infection by parasites such as nematodes, cestodes, trematodes, infectious protozoa, and amoebas. Antiparasitics are a class of Medications which are indicated for the treatment of Infection by Parasites such as Nematodes, Cestodes Parasitism is a type of symbiotic relationship between Organisms of different Species. The nematodes or roundworms ( Phylum Nematoda from Greek (nema "thread" + -ode "like" are one of the most common Tapeworm is also an older name for a type of Computer virus. Cestoda is a class of Parasitic Flatworms commonly called The Trematoda is a class within the phylum Platyhelminthes that contains two groups of parasitic Worms commonly referred to as flukes Protozoa (in Greek πρῶτον proton "first" and ζῷα zoia "animals" are unicellular Eukaryotes (singular Amoeba (sometimes amœba or ameba, plural amoebae) is a Genus of Protozoa that moves

Non-pharmaceutical antimicrobials

Traditional healers have long used plants to prevent or cure infectious disease. Many of these plants have been investigated scientifically for antimicrobial activity and a large number of plant products have been shown to inhibit the growth of pathogenic microorganisms. A number of these agents appear to have structures and modes of action that are distinct from those of the antibiotics in current use, suggesting that cross-resistance with agents already in use may be minimal. Cross-resistance is the Tolerance to a usually Toxic substance as a result of Exposure to a similarly acting substance So, it is worthwhile to study plants and plant products for activity against resistant bacteria.

Essential oils

Many essential oils are included in pharmacopoeias as having antimicrobial activity, including:

Cations and elements

Many heavy metal cations such as Hg2+, Cu2+, and Pb2+ have antimicrobial activities, but are also very toxic to other living organisms, thus making them unsuitable for treating infectious diseases. See also Albert Kalonji. Nigella sativa is an annual Flowering plant, native to southwest Asia. Organicsalsajpg||thumb|right|Onions used in salsa.]]Cooked onions in frying pan Phytoncides are Antimicrobial allelochemic Volatile organic compounds derived from Plants The word which means "exterminated by the plant" Phytotherapy is the study of the use of extracts from natural origin as medicines of health-promoting agents Lavender oil is an Essential oil obtained by Distillation from the flower spikes of certain species of Lavender. The lemon ( Citrus × limon) is a hybrid in cultivated wild plants Backhousia citriodora (common names lemon myrtle, lemon scented myrtle, lemon scented ironwood) is a Flowering plant in the family Neem ( Azadirachta indica, syn Melia azadirachta L Antelaea azadirachta (L Allium sativum L, commonly known as garlic, is a species in the Onion family Alliaceae. Eucalyptus (From Greek ευκάλυπτος meaning "well covered" is a diverse Genus of Trees (and a few shrubs the members of which Peppermint ( Mentha × piperita) is a hybrid mint, a cross between Watermint ( Mentha aquatica) and Spearmint Cinnamon ( Cinnamomum verum, synonym C zeylanicum) is a small Evergreen Tree 10–15 metres (32 This article is about the Spice; for other meanings see Clove (disambiguation. Thyme (ˈtaɪm is a well known herb in common usage the name may refer to either the any or all members of the plant Genus Thymus, Colloidal silver is commonly used as an antimicrobial in alternative medicine without clear scientific proof of effectiveness. Colloidal silver is a Liquid suspension of Microscopic particles of Silver.

See also

References

  1. ^ Levy SB (ed) (1994) Drug Resistance: The New Apocalypse (special issue) Trends Microbiol 2: 341–425
A biocide is a Chemical substance capable of killing living organisms, usually in a selective way

Dictionary

antimicrobial

-adjective

  1. tending to destroy or capable of destroying microbes
  2. inhibiting the growth of microbes
  3. preventing or counteracting the pathogenic action of microbes

-noun

  1. an agent that destroys microbes, inhibits their growth, or prevents or counteracts their pathogenic action
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