WHAT ARE SULPHONAMIDES?

Sulphonamides are the chemotherapeutic bacteriostatic agents. They are not “antibiotics” because they are purely synthetic compounds and of non-biological origin.

The term sulphonamides is commonly used to refer to antibacterials that are:

1. Aniline substituted sulphonamides (sulfanilamides).
2. Pro-drugs that produce sulfanilamides (sulfasalazine).
3. Non-aniline sulphonamides (mafenide).
4. Non-antibacterial sulfonamides e.g.
1. Tolbutamide (oral hypoglycemic).
2. Furosemide (diuretic).
3. Chlorthalidone (diuretic).