Which of the following drug is active selectively against Anaerobic and Microaerophilic organisms ?: (A) Clindamycin, (B) Tetracycline, (C) Metronidazole, (D) Aminoglycosides
Answer is C. Metronidazole undergoes reduction reaction by receiving single electron from Microaerophilic and Anaerobes pathogens which conves into a highly reactive Nitroradical Anion and damages the pathogen DNA . Metronidazole manifests antibacterial activity against all Anaerobic cocci; Anaerobic gram-negative bacilli(incl.Bacteroides sp.); Anaerobic spore-forming gram-positive bacilli (such as Clostridium); and Microaerophilic bacteria such as Helicobacter and Campylobacter sp. So Metronidazole is less active against Aerobic organisms because of the lack of Radical-mediated mechanism. Nonsporulating gram-positive bacilli often are resistant, as they are aerobic and facultatively anaerobic bacteria.