Carbenicillin is an ampicillin analog with structure related to benzyl penicillin. It is effective against Gram-negative bacteria and exhibits limited activity against Gram-positive bacteria. Carbenicillin binds and inhibits the enzymes involved in the synthesis of bacterial cell wall.

Since carbenicillin is less sensitive to β-lactamases than ampicillin, it is effective against ampicillin-resistant bacteria. It has superior stability at low pH and acts as a selection agent. Effective concentration of carbenicillin: 50 to 100 μg/ml.

Carbenicillin Solution Application

Carbenicillin is used for selection of Ampicillin-resistant transformed cells. It is used to study the role of penicillin-sensitive transpeptidases in the process cell wall biosynthesis.

Carbenicillin Solution Preparation

To prepare 1L of Carbenicillin Solution the following components are required.

Component	Amount	Concentration
disodium carbenicillin (mw: 422.36 g/mol)	50 g	0.1183 M

Preparation Steps

1. Prepare 800 mL of distilled water in a suitable container.
2. Add 50 g of disodium carbenicillin to the solution.
3. Add distilled water until volume is 1 L.
4. Filter-sterilize using a 0.22-µm filter. Store in 1-mL aliquots at ~20°C.

References

• “Carbenicillin Solution Preparation.” AAT Bioquest, Inc, 13 Jun. 2021, https://www.aatbio.com/resources/buffer-preparations-and-recipes/carbenicillin.
• https://www.sigmaaldrich.com/IN/en/product/sigma/c1613