macrolides
Sign in to savethumb|150px|Erythromycin. The macrolide ring is the [[lactone (cyclic ester) at upper left.]] 150px|thumb|Clarithromycin 150px|thumb|Roxithromycin
Article
19 sectionsContents
- Definition
- History
- Uses
- Mechanism of action
- Antibacterial
- Immunomodulation
- Diffuse panbronchiolitis
- Examples
- Antibiotic macrolides
- Ketolides
- Fluoroketolides
- Non-antibiotic macrolides
- Antifungal drugs
- Toxic macrolides
- Resistance
- Side-effects
- Interactions
- References
- Further reading
thumb|150px|Erythromycin. The macrolide ring is the [[lactone (cyclic ester) at upper left.]] 150px|thumb|Clarithromycin 150px|thumb|Roxithromycin
Macrolides are a class of mostly natural products with a large macrocyclic lactone ring to which one or more deoxy sugars, usually cladinose and desosamine, may be attached. Macrolides belong to the polyketide class of natural products. Some macrolides have antibiotic or antifungal activity and are used as pharmaceutical drugs. Rapamycin is also a macrolide and was originally developed as an antifungal, but has since been used as an immunosuppressant drug and is being investigated as a potential longevity therapeutic.