Beta-lactam Antibiotics

β-lactam antibiotics are characterized by four-membered ß-lactam ring. Penicillin G was the first β-lactam antibiotic that entered the clinic. Almost all ß-lactam antibiotics derived initially from microbes through a fermentation process. β-lactam antibiotics are bactericidal, and act by inhibiting the synthesis of the peptidoglycan layer of bacterial cell walls. The activity of these antibiotics is related to the opening of the ß-lactam ring. These antibiotics have broad antibacterial spectrum, strong antibacterial activity, low toxicity, high industrial level, clear structure-activity relationship, and high alterability, so they have been widely developed and applied.