1. Importance of Folic Acid in Chemotherapy and Antibiotics By: Ashley Higgins

2. Folic Acid and Antibiotics Folic acid inhibits sulfa drug treatment in malaria. Sulfa drugs, such as Sulfamethoxazole, are antifolates. Antifolates compete with p-amino benzoate, also known as PABA. – This leads to the reduction of dihydrofolic acid, also known as DHF. Folic acid inhibits antifolates, both in vivo and in vitro, which results in inhibiting antifolate so DHF can’t be inhibited.

3. Folic Acid and Antibiotics

4. Folic Acid and Chemotherapy Bacteria produce folic acid from PABA (p-aminobenzoic acid). An antibiotic known as Sulfonamides competes with PABA to make folic acid. Folic acid makes purines. – Purines inhibit nucleic acid synthesis and cell growth which is important in chemotherapy. Cancer and tumors are made up of rapidly dividing cells. – These rapidly dividing cells are more prone to these purines. – There are several drugs that make folic acid to create purines, such as methotrexate, that are used in chemotherapy. – These purines inhibit cell growth in cancer.

5. Folic Acid and Chemotherapy

6. Reference Bayly, A.M., & Macreadie I.G. (2002). Folic acid antagonism of sulfa drug treatments. Trends in Parasitology, 18 (2). 49-50.