Question

1) Briefly explain why a combination of clavulanic acid and amoxicillin is used to successfully treat beta-lactamase-producing, penicillin-resistant bacterial infections that are not affected by either clavulanic acid or amoxicillin when they are used alone.

2) Explain, using chemical structures and a reaction mechanism to illustrate your answer, how pyridoxal phosphate increases the rate of racemisation of alanine catalysed by alanine racemase.

Answer 1

Answer 1:)

Amoxicillin is also penicillin and hence inhibits bacterial cell wall synthesis by binding to penicillin-binding proteins. Clavulanic acid is a β-lactam drug by which it inactivates certain β-lactamase enzymes. These are effective when combined because bacterial infection includes 2 or more types of bacteria. In the bacterial infection, some bacteria are penicillin-resistant and some are b-lactam resistant, therefore, if a single drug will use, it will kill some bacteria. To kill all bacteria, the combination will work best.