Clavulanic acid

Description:
Clavulanic acid is a beta-lactamase inhibitor that prevents the destruction of penicillin and other beta-lactam antibiotics by bacterial enzymes. It has been shown to have inhibitory levels against a wide range of bacteria, including those that are resistant to amoxicillin, such as Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae, Proteus mirabilis, and Enterobacter cloacae. Clavulanic acid also inhibits the production of toxins in bacterial rhinosinusitis. The mechanism of action for clavulanic acid is inhibition of bacterial topoisomerases I and II, which are involved in replication and transcription. This drug also binds to potassium ions and forms clavulanate ion, which can be hydrolyzed by esterases or glucuronidases. Clavulanate ion is active against Gram-positive bacteria such as Staphylococcus aureus and Enterococcus fa