bacitracin

Bacitracin is a white to off-white fluffy powder. It is one of our China GMP-Approved APIs along with Bacitracin zinc, polymyxin b sulfate. It is soluble in water, ethanol, and pyridine. Its acidic or neutral aqueous solution is relatively stable. When pH maintains at 5-7, the bacitracin solution is stable for 4 weeks. When solution pH is greater than 9, bacitracin could degrade rapidly at room temperature.

Bacitracin, first isolated in 1945 and later commercially produced, is a mixture of related polypeptides widely used as an antibiotic in injections or topical formulations.

It is a mixture of related compounds with different antibacterial activities. Components include bacitracin A, A1, B, B1, B2, C, D, E, F, G, and X. Bacitracin A was found to have the most antibacterial activity. Bacitracin B1 and B2 have similar potencies and are approximately 90% as active as bacitracin A. Other bacitracin components including F and X do not appear to be extensively studied.

Bacitracin is manufactured by growing the bacteria Bacillus subtilis var Tracy in a container of liquid growth medium in our FDA-audited facility. After fermentation, the bacteria synthesize the antibiotic and secrete the antibiotic into the medium. Then bacitracin is extracted from the medium through chemical processing.

Bacitracin is an effective narrow-spectrum polypeptide with an antibacterial spectrum similar to penicillin and effective against Gram-positive bacteria, some Gram-negative bacteria, spirochetes, and actinomycetes. These polypeptides inhibit Gram-positive bacteria by interfering with the cell wall and peptidoglycan synthesis.