Bacteriostatic agent

As a bacteriostatic agent, a substance is, inhibits the growth of bacteria. If bacteria killed by a substance, one speaks of a bactericide. However, the distinction between the two terms is not very sharp, because high concentrations of antimicrobials often have a bactericidal effect and very low bactericidal concentrations can have bacteriostatic effects.

Among the best known antimicrobials include some antibiotics. They often act as a translational inhibitor by binding to the ribosome, for example, and thus inhibit protein synthesis of bacteria. To this group include the tetracyclines (e.g., doxycycline), the macrolides erythromycin, roxithromycin, clarithromycin and azithromycin, and lincosamides, as clindamycin. Other antimicrobials inhibit DNA synthesis and thus replication, so the bacterial cells can not divide further. A third group of antimicrobials inhibits factors of the metabolic pathways, so that also further growth and division of cells is prevented. These include the (now rarely used ) sulfonamides and trimethoprim, both of which interfere with folate metabolism.

In combination with the bactericidal action of the body's immune system bacterial infections can be effectively controlled with antimicrobials.