Mechanisms of Antibiotic Effectiveness against Pathogenic Bacteria: A Literature Review

Haidar Faiz Gumay(1), Pradipta Nararya Wardhana(2), Nadya Farah(3*),

(1) Department of Biology, Faculty of Military Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Republic of Indonesia Defense University, Kompleks IPSC Sentul, Bogor, 16810, Indonesia
(2) Department of Biology, Faculty of Military Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Republic of Indonesia Defense University, Kompleks IPSC Sentul, Bogor, 16810, Indonesia
(3) Department of Biology, Faculty of Military Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Republic of Indonesia Defense University, Kompleks IPSC Sentul, Bogor, 16810, Indonesia
(*) Corresponding Author

Abstract


Antibiotics have become one of the most influential discoveries in the history of medicine due to their ability in reducing mortality rates from bacterial infections. In general, the mechanism of antibiotics can be divided into two types: bacteriostatic, which inhibits bacterial growth, and bactericidal, which kills bacteria directly. This article reviews various literatures on the effectiveness of several antibiotics that are often prescribed in health services such as amoxicillin, ciprofloxacin, metronidazole, azithromycin, ceftriaxone, amikacin, and gentamicin, as well as their specific correlation with pathogenic bacteria that cause infection. We discovered that the effectiveness of antibiotics is greatly influenced by molecular targets, dosages, environmental conditions, and usage patterns. Inappropriate use, in terms of antibiotic selection and dosage, has been shown to contribute to the emergence of resistance through gene mutation mechanisms and metabolic changes in bacteria. This situation has made antibiotic resistance a serious challenge in clinical practice and global public health. Therefore, a more rational, selective, and evidence-based antibiotic usage strategy is needed to maintain the effectiveness of therapy and reduce the rate of pathogenic bacterial resistance.

Keywords


Antibiotic; Bacteria; Effectiveness; Mechanisms

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References


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