Macrolide derivatives are either macrolide antibiotics or other antibiotics related to macrolides.
Macrolides are a class of antibiotics found in streptomycetes. They are natural lactones with a large ring, consisting of 14 to 20 atoms. Macrolides bind to the 50S subunit of the bacterial ribosome and inhibit ribosomal translocation, leading to inhibition of bacterial protein synthesis. Their action is primarily bacteriostatic but may be bactericidal at high concentrations, or depending on the type of microorganism.