Azlocillin is an
acyl ampicillin
Ampicillin is an antibiotic used to prevent and treat a number of bacterial infections, such as respiratory tract infections, urinary tract infections, meningitis, salmonellosis, and endocarditis. It may also be used to prevent group B strepto ...
antibiotic
An antibiotic is a type of antimicrobial substance active against bacteria. It is the most important type of antibacterial agent for fighting bacterial infections, and antibiotic medications are widely used in the treatment and prevention of ...
with an extended spectrum of activity and greater ''
in vitro
''In vitro'' (meaning in glass, or ''in the glass'') studies are performed with microorganisms, cells, or biological molecules outside their normal biological context. Colloquially called "test-tube experiments", these studies in biology an ...
'' potency than the carboxy
penicillin
Penicillins (P, PCN or PEN) are a group of β-lactam antibiotics originally obtained from ''Penicillium'' moulds, principally '' P. chrysogenum'' and '' P. rubens''. Most penicillins in clinical use are synthesised by P. chrysogenum using ...
s.
Azlocillin is similar to
mezlocillin
Mezlocillin is a broad-spectrum penicillin antibiotic. It is active against both Gram-negative and some Gram-positive bacteria. Unlike most other extended spectrum penicillins, it is excreted by the liver, therefore it is useful for biliary tract i ...
and
piperacillin
Piperacillin is a broad-spectrum β-lactam antibiotic of the ureidopenicillin class. The chemical structure of piperacillin and other ureidopenicillins incorporates a polar side chain that enhances penetration into Gram-negative bacteria and redu ...
. It demonstrates antibacterial activity against a broad spectrum of
bacteria
Bacteria (; singular: bacterium) are ubiquitous, mostly free-living organisms often consisting of one biological cell. They constitute a large domain of prokaryotic microorganisms. Typically a few micrometres in length, bacteria were among ...
, including ''
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
''Pseudomonas aeruginosa'' is a common encapsulated, gram-negative, aerobic–facultatively anaerobic, rod-shaped bacterium that can cause disease in plants and animals, including humans. A species of considerable medical importance, ''P. aerugi ...
'' and, in contrast to most
cephalosporin
The cephalosporins (sg. ) are a class of β-lactam antibiotics originally derived from the fungus ''Acremonium'', which was previously known as ''Cephalosporium''.
Together with cephamycins, they constitute a subgroup of β-lactam antibiotics ...
s, exhibits activity against
enterococci
''Enterococcus'' is a large genus of lactic acid bacteria of the phylum Bacillota. Enterococci are gram-positive cocci that often occur in pairs (diplococci) or short chains, and are difficult to distinguish from streptococci on physical charac ...
.
Spectrum of bacterial susceptibility
Azlocillin is considered a broad spectrum antibiotic and can be used against a number of Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria. The following represents MIC susceptibility data for a few medically significant organisms.
* ''Escherichia coli'' 1 μg/mL – 32 μg/mL
* ''Haemophilus'' spp. 0.03 μg/mL – 2 μg/mL
* ''Pseudomonas aeruginosa'' 4 μg/mL – 6.25 μg/mL
Synthesis

An interesting alternative synthesis of azlocillin involves activation of the substituted
phenylglycine
Phenylglycine is the organic compound with the formula C6H5CH(NH2)CO2H. It is a non-proteinogenic alpha amino acid related to alanine, but with a phenyl group in place of the methyl group. It is a white solid. The compound exhibits some biolog ...
analogue 1 with 1,3-dimethyl-2-chloro-1-imidazolinium chloride (2) and then condensation with
6-APA
6-APA ((+)-6-aminopenicillanic acid) is a chemical compound used as an intermediate in the synthesis of β-lactam antibiotics. The major commercial source of 6-APA is still natural penicillin G: the semi-synthetic penicillins derived from 6-APA a ...
.
See also
*
Methicillin
References
Penicillins
Enantiopure drugs
Imidazolidinones
{{Antibiotic-stub