Pharmacology of Antifungal Drugs (Complete Overview) [ENGLISH] by Dr. Shikha Parmar
An antifungal medication, also known as an antimycotic medication, is a pharmaceutical fungicide or fungistatic used to treat and prevent mycoses such as athlete's foot, ringworm, candidiasis (thrush), serious systemic infections such as cryptococcal meningitis, and others. Such drugs are usually obtained by a doctor's prescription, but a few are available OTC (over-the-counter).
Antifungals can be grouped into three classes based on their site of action: azoles, which inhibit the synthesis of ergosterol (the main fungal sterol); polyenes, which interact with fungal membrane sterols physicochemically; and 5-fluorocytosine, which inhibits macromolecular synthesis.
Polyene Antifungal Drugs
Amphotericin, nystatin, and pimaricin interact with sterols in the cell membrane (ergosterol in fungi, cholesterol in humans) to form channels through which small molecules leak from the inside of the fungal cell to the outside.
Azole Antifungal Drugs
Fluconazole, itraconazole, and ketoconazole inhibit cytochrome P450-dependent enzymes (particularly C14-demethylase) involved in the biosynthesis of ergosterol, which is required for fungal cell membrane structure and function.
Allylamine and Morpholine Antifungal Drugs
Allylamines (naftifine, terbinafine) inhibit ergosterol biosynthesis at the level of squalene epoxidase. The morpholine drug, amorolfine, inhibits the same pathway at a later step.
Antimetabolite Antifungal Drugs
5-Fluorocytosine acts as an inhibitor of both DNA and RNA synthesis via the intracytoplasmic conversion of 5-fluorocytosine to 5-fluorouracil.
Description Source: Wikipedia