Sulfonamides Antibiotic Class

Sulfonamides are a group of antibiotics that inhibit the growth of bacteria by blocking the synthesis of folate, a vitamin necessary for bacterial growth. They are used to treat a variety of bacterial infections.
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Drug
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Prepared by Shruti Sahoo, reviewed by Dr. Eugene Smith

Sulfonamides FAQ


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What is a sulfonamide drug?

Sulfonamides (sulfa drugs) are drugs that are derived from sulfanilamide, a sulfur-containing chemical. Most sulfonamides are antibiotics, but some are prescribed for treating ulcerative colitis.

What is a sulfonamide derived from?

Any sulfonamide can be considered as derived from a sulfonic acid by replacing a hydroxyl group ( −OH) with an amine group. In medicine, the term "sulfonamide" is sometimes used as a synonym for sulfa drug, a derivative or variation of sulfanilamide. The first sulfonamide was discovered in Germany in 1932.

What is sulfonamide functional group chemistry?

Sulfonamide (or sulphonamide) functional group chemistry (SN) forms the basis of several groups of drug.

What is an example of a sulfonamide?

Common examples of sulfonamides, or “sulfa drugs,” include sulfasalazine (Azulfidine, Azulfidine EN-tabs), acetazolamide xr (Diamox Sequels), acetyl sulfisoxazole pediatric suspension (Gantrisin), sulfisoxazole (Trixazole), and Zonegran (zonisamide (Zonegran). What kind of antibiotics are sulfonamides?

What are sulfonamides?

Sulfonamides (sulphonamides) are a group of man-made (synthetic) medicines that contain the sulfonamide chemical group. They may also be called sulfa drugs. Many people use the term sulfonamide imprecisely to refer only to antibiotics that have a sulfonamide functional group in their chemical structure.

What were sulfonamide drugs?

Sulfonamide drugs were the first broadly effective antibacterials to be used systemically, and paved the way for the antibiotic revolution in medicine. The first sulfonamide, trade-named Prontosil, was a prodrug.

Why are sulfonamide drugs important?

Sulfonamide drugs were the first broadly effective antibacterials to be used systemically, and paved the way for the antibiotic revolution in medicine. In bacteria, antibacterial sulfonamides act as competitive inhibitors of the enzyme dihydropteroate synthase (DHPS), an enzyme involved in folate synthesis.

Sulfonamides References

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