Antifungal agents are medications used to treat fungal infections in humans and animals.
The general mechanism of action of antifungal agents involves targeting the fungal cell wall, cell membrane, or intracellular components.
Cell wall-targeting agents inhibit the synthesis of beta-glucan, which is a key component of the fungal cell wall. Examples of these agents include echinocandins, such as caspofungin and anidulafungin.
Cell membrane-targeting agents interfere with the synthesis or function of ergosterol, a sterol found in fungal cell membranes. This disrupts the integrity of the membrane and leads to cell death. Azoles, such as fluconazole and itraconazole, and polyenes, such as amphotericin B, are examples of cell membrane-targeting agents.
Intracellular component-targeting agents inhibit essential fungal enzymes involved in nucleic acid synthesis, such as flucytosine, or target other cellular processes, such as terbinafine, which targets fungal cell wall synthesis.
Classification of antifungal agents into Antifungal antibiotics, Synthetic Antifungal agents
Antifungal agents can be classified into two broad categories: antifungal antibiotics and synthetic antifungal agents. Here's a brief overview of each category and some examples of the drugs within them:
I.Antifungal antibiotics:
These are naturally occurring substances derived from microorganisms, such as fungi or bacteria, which have the ability to kill or inhibit the growth of other fungi. Examples of antifungal antibiotics include: