Sulfanilamide

Sulfanilamide is a sulfonamide antibiotic.¹ It is bacteriostatic against Streptococcus when used at a concentration of 20 μg/ml and inhibits the growth of 106 clinical isolates of Gonococcus at 0.01% v/v.^1,2 Sulfanilamide reduces plasma levels of Streptococcus in infected rabbits.³ It is an inhibitor of carbonic anhydrase II (CAII) and CAIX (K_is = 294 and 300 nM, respectively, for the human enzymes).⁴ It is selective for CAII and CAIX over CAI and CAIV (K_is = 3000 and >10,000 nM, respectively, for the bovine and human enzymes). Sulfanilamide inhibits the growth of S. haemolyticus and E. coli when used at a concentration of 300 µM.⁵ Formulations containing sulfanilamide have been used in the topical treatment of vaginal fungal infections.

WARNING This product is not for human or veterinary use.

1. White, H.J., and Parker, J.M. The bactericidal effect of sulfanilamide upon beta hemolytic streptococci in vitro. J. Bacteriol. 36(5), 481-498 (1938).

2. Carpenter, C.M., and Wingate, H.F. The "Sulfanilamide Death Time" in vitro of 106 strains of the Gonococcus. J. Bacteriol. 41(4), 473-478 (1941).

3. Gay, F.G., and Clark, A.R. On the mode of action of sulfanilamide in experimental streptococcus empyema. J. Exp. Med. 66(5), 535-548 (1937).

4. Vullo, D., Franchi, M., Gallori, E., et al. Carbonic anhydrase inhibitors: Inhibition of the tumor-associated isozyme IX with aromatic and heterocyclic sulfonamides. Bioorg. Med. Chem. Lett. 13(6), 1005-1009 (2003).

5. McIlwain, H. The biochemical specificity of sulfanilamide and of other antibacterial agents. Science 95(2472), 509-511 (1942).