Cefoxitin

'Cefoxitin is a semi-synthetic, broad-spectrum cephalosporin type of antibiotic, derived from cephamycin C produced by Streptmyces lactamdurans. It is administered intravenously. It is sold under the brand names Mefoxin and Mefoxitin.

Mechanism of Action
Cephalosporin and penicilin-based antbacterial agents inhibit cell wall synthesis of bacteria by binding to penicilin-binding proteins in bacteria through an acylation reaction of the core beta-lactam structure with the cell's proteins.

Chemistry
The IUPAC name for cefoxitin is (6R,7S)-3-(carbamoyloxymethyl)-7-methoxy-8-oxo-7-[(2-thiophen-2-ylacetyl)amino]-5-thia-1-azabicyclo[4.2.0]oct-2-ene-2-carboxylic acid. It has chemical formula C16H17N3O7S2 and molecular mass of 427.4520 grams/mol. Its antibiotic properties are due to its core beta-lactam structure, which is common to all cephalosporins.