Fusidic acid sodium salt

The tetracyclic triterpenoid is a fusidane antibiotic originally isolated from F. coccineum. It is active against the Gram-positive bacteria S. aureus, S. pyogenes, C. diphtheriae, B. subtilis, and C. tetani but not the Gram-negative bacteria E. coli, S. typhimurium, and P. vulgaris or the fungi C. albicans and A. fumigatus. This antibacterial agent inhibits bacterial protein synthesis by preventing the release of translation elongation factor G (EF-G) from ribosomes. Fusidic acid has immunomodulatory effects and inhibits the inhibitory and activating effects of interleukins IL-1 and IL-6 on glucose-induced insulin production and exhibits antidiabetic effects in a rat model. Fusidic acid improves the symptoms of colitis in rats and inhibits the growth of Toxoplasma gondii and Listeria monocytogenes EGD in vitro, but not in mice. The sodium salt version is found to be more water-soluble.