Structure─activity relationships in semi-synthetic penicillins

Investigation of the relationship between the antibacterial activity of penicillins and the chemical nature of the side chain began in earnest in 1957, when the isolation of 6-aminopenicillanic acid (6-APA) made possible the preparation of large numbers of N -substituted derivatives. Since that time some 1800 different penicillins have been prepared and studied in Beecham Research Laboratories, and the number examined throughout the world must amount to several thousands. The purpose of the present survey is to try to summarize the general patterns of structure-activity relationships which have emerged from these studies. 6-APA itself has only a low order of antibacterial activity, and the same applies to derivatives in which the amino group at position 6 is substituted by radicals other than acyl groups (figure 1). Hence it soon became clear that no advantage was to be gained from such considerable structural variations, and efforts were concentrated on preparing true penicillins containing acyl side-chains. Virtually all of these show considerable activity in vitro against at least some bacteria, but the spectrum of activity varies widely.