Question

Which of the following statements is not correct about penicillin?
(a)- Penicillin G has a broad spectrum.
(b)- It is extracted from an antibacterial fungus Penicillium.
(c)- Ampicillin and amoxicillin are the synthetic modification of penicillins.
(d)- It has a bacteriostatic effect.

Answer 1

Hint: All the members of Penicillin have the same type of spectrum. It resists only some types of diseases, and because of this, some people have an allergy to penicillin.

Complete step by step solution:
Let us see the options one by one, why they are correct or incorrect.
(a)- Penicillin G has a broad spectrum: -
All the members like Penicillin G, Penicillin V, etc, have a narrow spectrum and are effective only against diseases caused by various cocci and some gram-positive bacteria. However, some people have an allergy to penicillin. Hence, it is essential to test the sensitivity of the patient by giving a test dose before giving the full dose.
(b)- It is extracted from an antibacterial fungus Penicillium:
The first antibiotic penicillin was obtained from the mould of Penicillium notatum. It was discovered by Alexander Fleming in 1929. Penicillium notatum is an antibacterial fungus. The microbial strain is extracted from the fungus.
(c)- Ampicillin and amoxicillin are the synthetic modification of penicillins:
Some semi-synthetic modifications of penicillin are now known for which ampicillin and amoxicillin are very common.
(d)- It has a bacteriostatic effect:
Penicillin has a bacteriostatic effect called Erythromycin. Erythromycin is used for the treatment of bacterial infections. Penicillin is a very effective drug for pneumonia, bronchitis, sore throat, abscesses, and other infectious diseases.
So, from the above explanation, we can see that option (a) is incorrect.
Hence, the answer to this question is (a)- Penicillin G has a broad spectrum.

Note: Penicillin is a type of antibiotic since there are numerous antibiotics which are broad-spectrum antibiotics, penicillin comes under narrow-spectrum antibiotics. You could get confused when more than one type of penicillin is given in an option.