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Why were gramicidin and tyrocidin used only for superficial infections?
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Gramicidin and tyrocidine, which are components of the antibiotic mixture known as tyrothricin, are restricted to topical use for superficial infections primarily because they are toxic.12
While these polypeptide antibiotics are effective against gram-positive bacteria, their systemic administration is unsafe due to this inherent toxicity. Consequently, their clinical application is limited to local or topical treatments.12