title: Cefamandole---a review of chemistry and microbiology.
abstract: The discovery of cephalosporin C and its conversion to 7-aminocephalosporanic acid (7-ACA) are reviewed. The syntheses of cefamandole and three other injectable cephalosporins from 7-ACA are described, and the antibiotic properties of the four drugs are compared. The microbiological potency of cefamandole is comparable to that of cephalothin, cephaloridine, and cefazolin against gram-positive organisms. Cefamandole is the most potent of the four compounds against gram-negative bacteria. In addition, cefamandole inhibits Enterobacter and strains of indole-positive Proteus which have been traditionally resistant to the cephalosporins. For pharmaceutical reasons cefamandole nafate was chosen for the clinical formulation of the antibiotic.
mesh_terms: D000164:Acremonium / Q000032:analysis; D002435:Cefamandole / Q000494:pharmacology; D002511:Cephalosporins / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology; D055598:Chemical Phenomena; D002621:Chemistry; D004754:Enterobacter / Q000187:drug effects; D006190:Haemophilus / Q000187:drug effects; D011511:Proteus / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D002511:Cephalosporins; D002435:Cefamandole