Clavulanate

Clavulanate is a β-lactamase inhibitor whose main role is to protect β-lactam antibiotics from degradation by bacterial β-lactamases, while having little significant antibacterial activity on its own. Clavulanate is also a compound containing a β-lactam ring and is structurally similar to penicillin, but its antibacterial activity is very weak. When bacterial β-lactamase attacks the β-lactam ring of clavulanate, clavulanate forms an irreversible inhibitory complex that inactivates the enzyme, thereby protecting the co-administered β-lactam antibiotic from β-lactamase-mediated destruction.