Antibiotics and Reproductive Health (eBook)

Faiza Rao, Anam Rao (Herausgeber)

eBook Download: EPUB

2025
230 Seiten
Bentham Science Publishers (Verlag)
9789815313628 (ISBN)

Infos

Antibiotics and Reproductive Health explores the intricate interplay between antibiotics and the female reproductive system. This comprehensive volume offers an evidence-based analysis of how antibiotics impact fertility, pregnancy, and breastfeeding, with a special focus on antibiotic resistance and emerging treatment alternatives. Bridging medicine, pharmacology, and reproductive health, the book is structured into nine chapters covering topics from the mechanism of antibiotics in reproductive health to alternative therapies like probiotics and herbal medicine. It provides clinical guidelines and discusses risks such as antibiotic resistance and microbiome disruption. Key Features: - Detailed exploration of antibiotic mechanisms in reproductive health. - Discussion on risks including antibiotic resistance and hormonal effects. - Examination of alternative therapies like probiotics and herbal medicine. - Clinical guidelines for antibiotic use in reproductive health.

Textauszug

Introduction to Antibiotics and Female Reproductive Health

Z. Maryam1, J. Asma1, *, Hoor ul A.1, H. Maham1, Sumaira Kanwal2

1 Department of Zoology, University of Education, Lahore, Pakistan

2 Department of Bio Sciences, COMSATS University, Sahiwal Campus, Islamabad, Pakistan

Abstract

Antibiotics, as potent and targeted weapons in healthcare, play a crucial role in the maintenance of human health, including female reproductive health. Understanding how antibiotics affect female reproductive health can lead to new preventive and therapeutic approaches. In healthcare, penicillin, cephalosporins, macrolides, tetracyclines, and fluoroquinolones are among the most frequently used antibiotics, each with a distinct mode of action to kill microbes. Female reproductive health issues include urinary tract infections, bacterial vaginosis, pelvic inflammatory disease and sexually transmitted infections. It is crucial to completely understand the treatment options for such health problems because they have a significant influence on women's well-being. Antibiotics are the preferred treatment of choice for the aforementioned female reproductive health problems. Antibiotics for female reproductive health must follow prescribing guidance, be customized, and examine alternatives to broad-spectrum antibiotics. However, possible adverse effects, such as disturbance of vaginal microbiota, increased risk of yeast infections, development of antibiotic resistance and impact on hormonal contraceptives, necessitate careful use. Designing antibiotics for specific infections, selecting doses and durations and finding acceptable alternatives could reduce their potential side effects. Notable potential strategies for managing the impact of antibiotics on female reproductive health include probiotics and their function in maintaining vaginal health, appropriate hygiene practices and sexually transmitted infection prevention measures. Progress in this field requires continued research on effects of antibiotics on female reproductive health, targeted antibiotic therapies, non-antibiotic treatment options and a better understanding of long-term usage effects and outcomes of antibiotics.

Keywords: Antibiotics, Bacterial vaginosis, Broad-spectrum antibiotics, Female reproductive health, Pelvic inflammatory disease, Probiotics, Sexually transmitted infections, Targeted antibiotic therapies, Urinary tract infections, Vaginal microbiota.

* Corresponding author J. Asma: Department of Zoology, University of Education, Lahore, Pakistan; E-mail: [e-mail]

INTRODUCTION

Antibiotics and Their Role in Healthcare

Antibiotics, a category of secondary metabolites, are synthesized by various microorganisms such as bacteria, fungi, and even certain plant and animal species during their lifespan. These organisms possess anti-pathogenic properties and are capable of affecting the development of other cells [1]. Antibiotics are a type of medication that can destroy or inhibit bacterial growth [2]. Alexander Fleming provided the first significant advancement in antibiotics in 1929. As the years go by, the antibiotics that are most frequently employed nowadays generally consist of β-lactams, tetracycline, aminoglycans, chloramphenicol, lincomines, rifamycin, and quinolones [1]. Alexander Fleming discovered the antimicrobial features in 1928. Over the years, Ernst Chain and Howard Florey instigated ways to produce Penicillin as shown in Fig. (1).

Fig. (1))
Alexander Fleming discovered the antimicrobial features in 1928. Over the years, Ernst Chain and Howard Florey instigated ways to produce Penicillin.

The clinical application of antibiotics undeniably stands as the most groundbreaking medical progression of the 20th century [3]. Antibiotics have proven their efficacy not just in the treatment of infectious diseases, but have also facilitated significant advancements in the areas of cancer treatment, organ transplantation, and open-heart surgery. However, the improper use of these beneficial products has led to the rapid emergence of antimicrobial resistance. As a result, certain illnesses are now completely untreatable [4]. The risks of a world without antibiotics have compelled governing bodies to recognize this threat to mankind and offer more grant money. This is slowly bringing back interest in identifying and creating new antibiotics [5].

The majority of antibiotic classes that are useful in clinical practice are obtained from natural products. At the end of the year 2018, there were 45 novel antibiotic candidates participating in clinical tests for the market in the United States [6]. Twenty-eight of these are considered to be members of established natural products, whereas the remaining 17 are considered to be synthetic and represent a total of 12 classes, seven of which are brand new. The beta-lactams were the first class of NP antibiotics to be identified back in 1928 containing 13 different types of antibiotics that are based on these beta-lactams. The present discussion aims to explain the five distinct tetracyclines, which constitute a class of compounds that first came to light in the year 1945 and then put into clinical practice in 1948. This particular class consists of distamycin, aminoglycoside, fusidane, polymyxins, macrolide and pleuromutilin [7]. From a scientific perspective, one of the primary challenges lies in the identification of novel chemical substances possessing distinctive physicochemical properties that are essential for the process of discovering and developing antibiotics. Since World War II, antibiotics have made it possible to treat a wide range of bacterial illnesses and have saved countless lives. The aforementioned discovery led to the successful treatment and prevention of numerous potentially fatal illnesses. As researchers discovered new antibacterial chemical compounds, they recognized that these medicines also have terrible side effects. The utilization of antibiotics is experiencing a significant surge as a result of the escalating global population and the growing demand for more effective pharmaceuticals [8, 9]

Antibiotics can be categorized into two fundamental groups according to their mode of action: Bacteriostatic, which limits bacterial growth and replication, and Bactericidal, which leads to the destruction of bacterial cells. The widespread production and consumption of antibiotics have led to their emergence as contaminants, posing risks to both the ecology and human well-being [10]. Reproductive healthcare is concerned with the reproductive processes, functions, and systems in a person's life. This refers to the sexual health of individuals of both genders, in addition to the health of mothers and children [11].

Importance of Female Reproductive Health

Normal cells do not usually go through as many different kinds of major and minor changes in any other system as they do in a woman's reproductive processes while she is cycling and pregnant. The complicated physiological processes that take place throughout an estrous cycle, during pregnancy or postpartum period are complemented by significant changes in the tissue of the gonads, tubules, and external genitalia. These alterations include hyperplasia, atrophy, necrosis, bleeding, and tissue invasion [12]. It is of the utmost significance that women take care of their reproductive health, not just for themselves but also for their families and for society as a whole. The concept of reproductive health encompasses a range of factors pertaining to the emotional, physical and social well-being of women in relation to their reproductive system. This includes an examination of the organs, hormones, and mechanisms involved in conception, giving birth, and overall reproductive function. The reproductive and sexual wellness of adolescents and young girls are often disregarded in populations suffering from conflict or natural disasters [13].

The female reproductive system exhibits a higher degree of complexity in comparison to the male reproductive system. Women are responsible for gestating the fetus during its development inside their bodies. The female reproductive systems undergo adjustments and adaptations to accommodate the gestation of a fetus, resulting in increased complexity. The fundamental purpose of the female reproductive system is to effectively enable the production of egg cells and provide the conditions needed for the process of fertilization and then the development of embryos within the body. The female reproductive system encompasses both internal and external components. Internally, it consists of the uterus, which serves as...

Produkt-Details

• Erscheint lt. Verlag: 27.6.2025
• Sprache: englisch
• Themenwelt: Sachbuch/Ratgeber ► Freizeit / Hobby ► Sammeln / Sammlerkataloge
• Themenwelt: Veterinärmedizin
• ISBN-13: 9789815313628 / 9789815313628