Corrosion inhibition of metals and alloys is a major action of technical, economic, environmental, and aesthetical significance. The use of inhibitors is one of the best option of contending metals and alloys against environmental impact. The toxicity of organic and inorganic corrosion inhibitors to the environment has provoked the search for eco-friendly corrosion inhibitors like green corrosion inhibitors as other more environmental friendly corrosion inhibitors, most of which are biodegradable and do not possess heavy metals or other harmful functional atoms and groups in their molecular structure. Antibiotic is considered to have the potential to combat corrosion of several metals such as carbon steel, Aluminium, zinc, tin and copper in acidic environments . It behaves as an inhibitive agent in different corrosive media. Numerous techniques such as Mass loss method, Electro chemical polarization study and AC impedance spectra have been used to evaluate the corrosion inhibition performance of antibiotics. The formation of corrosion inhibitor barrier layer has been analysed by IR spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy, scanning electron microscopy and auger electron spectroscopy. Adsorption of antibiotics on metal and alloy surfaces obeys Langmuir, Temkin isotherm, depending on nature of metal and corrosive environment and adsorption could be of chemisorption, physisorption or both processes. Electrochemical Polarization study demonstrated that antibiotics may act as anodic or cathodic or mixed mode of inhibition based on chemical nature of metals and operating environment. This paper discusses several antibiotics being used as inhibitors against corrosion of metals in different environments and the screening of inhibitors using electrochemical methods have been dealt in a detailed way. © 2020 University of Manchester and the authors.