[citation needed] Ticarcillin, like penicillin, contains a β-lactam ring that can be cleaved by β-lactamases, resulting in inactivation of the antibiotic.

Due at least in part to the common β-lactam ring, ticarcillin can cause reactions in patients allergic to penicillin.

[citation needed] In molecular biology, ticarcillin is used to as an alternative to ampicillin to test the uptake of marker genes into bacteria.

However Timentin contains clavulanate unlike Ticar Carbenicillin is used in the clinic primarily because of its low toxicity and its utility in treating urinary tract infections due to susceptible Pseudomonas species.

Its origin depended on the well-known fact that a divalent sulfur is roughly equivalent to a vinyl group (cf methiopropamine, sufentanil, pizotyline etc.).