Augmentin Duo Forte tablets contain amoxicillin and clavulanate potassium. Amoxicillin belongs to the penicillin family; it works by disrupting bacterial cell wall synthesis, preventing their growth and causing them to die. Specifically, it inhibits penicillin-binding proteins (PBPs), enzymes crucial for bacterial cell wall construction.
Clavulanate potassium is a β-lactamase inhibitor. Many bacteria produce β-lactamases, enzymes that break down penicillin-type antibiotics rendering them ineffective. Clavulanate potassium inhibits these enzymes, protecting amoxicillin and allowing it to effectively target bacteria that would otherwise be resistant.
The combination of amoxicillin and clavulanate potassium provides broad-spectrum antibacterial activity against a wide range of both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, making it suitable for treating various infections.
| Amoxicillin | Inhibits bacterial cell wall synthesis by binding to penicillin-binding proteins (PBPs). |
| Clavulanate Potassium | Inhibits β-lactamases, protecting amoxicillin from degradation. |
