Table 1.

Mechanisms of action and limitations of antimicrobial drugs currently used in treatment of various infectious diseases.

S. No.	Drug	Category	Mechanism of action	Limitation
1	Rifampicin	Antitubercular Drug	Inhibit bacterial DNA-dependent RNA polymerase	Development of resistance against various antitubercular drugs
2	Enfuvirtide	Antiretroviral drugs	To prevent the fusion of HIV to the CD4 or another target cell	Resistance and viral evolution
3	Zidovudine	Antiviral drug	After phosphorylation it competes with endogenous nucleotides for incorporation into the viral DNA	Emergence of resistant mutants, megaloblastic anemia, and leukopenia
4	Remdesivir	Antiviral drugs	A nucleoside analog and inhibits the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp)	Increased liver enzyme levels that may indicate possible liver damage
5	Metronidazole	Antiprotozoal drugs	Inhibits protein synthesis by interacting with DNA and causing a loss of helical DNA structure and strand breakage	Use is limited to only certain bacterial and parasitic infections, also causes GIT disturbance
6	Sulfamethoxazole	Sulfonamides	Inhibit with intermediary metabolism of microorganism	Allergic reaction, GIT disturbance
7	Azithromycin	Macrolide antibiotics	Inhibits bacterial protein synthesis	Allergic reaction
8	Cephalosporins	Beta-lactamase inhibitors	It inhibits synthesis of the bacterial cell wall	GIT disturbance and superinfection
9	Diloxanide furoate	Antiamoebic drugs	Uncertain, may inhibit protein synthesis or destroys the trophozoites of E. histolytica that eventually form into cysts	Abdominal cramps and skin rashes
10	Amoxicillin.	Beta-lactam antimicrobials	Inhibit bacterial cell wall synthesis	Cause superinfections and crystalluria
11	Cephalexin	Cephalosporins	Inhibit bacterial cell wall synthesis	Tendinopathy and drug–drug interactions
12	Ciprofloxacin	Fluoroquinolone	Inhibits DNA replication by inhibiting bacterial DNA topoisomerase and DNA-gyrase	Lower serum aminotransferase's level
13	Clindamycin	Lincomycin antibiotics	Inhibit bacterial protein synthesis by binding to the 50s ribosomal subunit of bacteria	Causes Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhea