Page 49 - Medicinal Chemistry Self Assessment
P. 49
38 Medicinal Chemistry Self Assessment
6. Like the penicillins, the cephalosporins suffer from chemical instability of the β-lactam bond. Chem-
ical hydrolysis of this bond renders the drugs in the class of anti-infective agents inactive. This bond
is also subject to cleavage by β-lactamases (due to the presence of a nucleophilic serine side chain
[CH OH] within the active site of the enzyme). Show how the β-lactam bond can be hydrolyzed by
2
chemical and enzymatic (β-lactamase) mechanisms.
Answers can be found in Section 2.10 [this will be linked to section 2.10 title]
