Optochin (original) (raw)

Optochin (or ethylhydrocupreine hydrochloride) is a derivative of quinine introduced in 1911 by Morgenroth and Levy with the intention to treat pneumococci infection. In very high dilutions, it inhibits the growth of representatives of all four groups of pneumococci in vitro. That is the main reason it is now used in bacteriology for the differentiation of Streptococcus pneumoniae, which is optochin-sensitive, from the other, resistant alpha-hemolytic streptococci, sometimes called the viridans streptococci because of the green colouration on blood agar around colonies.