Antibiotic
chloramphenicol Audio
chlo·ram·phen·i·col [ klawr-am-fen-i-kawl, -kol, klohr- ]
Brand Names:
Viceton
Effect:
Decreased Protein Synthesis
May Treat:
Bacteroides Infections; Eye Infections, Bacterial; Haemophilus Infections; Meningitis, Meningococcal; Otitis Externa; Rickettsia Infections; Salmonella Infections; Streptococcal Infections
More Information:
ChemID; DrugBank; DailyMed; PDR
Definitions related to chloramphenicol:
  • A semisynthetic, broad-spectrum antibiotic derived from Streptomyces venequelae with primarily bacteriostatic activity. Chloramphenicol diffuses through the bacterial cell wall and reversibly binds to the bacterial 50S ribosomal subunit. The binding interferes with peptidyl transferase activity, thereby prevents transfer of amino acids to the growing peptide chains and blocks peptide bond formation. As a result bacterial protein synthesis is blocked and impede bacterial cell proliferation.
    NCI
    U.S. National Cancer Institute, 2021
  • An antibiotic first isolated from cultures of Streptomyces venequelae in 1947 but now produced synthetically. It has a relatively simple structure and was the first broad-spectrum antibiotic to be discovered. It acts by interfering with bacterial protein synthesis and is mainly bacteriostatic. (From Martindale, The Extra Pharmacopoeia, 29th ed, p106)
    NLM Medical Subject Headings
    U.S. National Library of Medicine, 2025
  • Antibiotic first isolated from cultures of Streptomyces venequelae but now produced synthetically; has a relatively simple structure and was the first broad-spectrum antibiotic to be discovered; it acts by interfering with bacterial protein synthesis and is mainly bacteriostatic.
    CRISP Thesaurus
    National Institutes of Health, 2006
  • Chloramphenicol is an antibiotic that is primarily bacteriostatic. It binds to the 50S subunit of the ribosome, thereby inhibiting bacterial protein synthesis. Chloramphenicol is well absorbed orally. Parenteral therapy should be IV.
    Merck Manuals
    Merck & Co., Inc., 2025
  • Chloramphenicol, antibiotic drug once commonly used in the treatment of infections caused by various bacteria, including those in the genera Rickettsia and Mycoplasma. Chloramphenicol was originally found as a product of the metabolism of the soil bacterium Streptomyces venezuelae (order...
    Encyclopedia Britannica
    Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc., 2025
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