Antifungal agents

Antifungal agents

Antifungal agents (pronunciation: an-ti-fun-gal ay-gents) are a type of pharmaceutical drug used to treat and prevent mycoses, which are diseases caused by fungi.

Etymology

The term "antifungal" is derived from the Latin words "anti" meaning against, and "fungus" meaning mushroom. The term "agent" comes from the Latin word "agens" meaning something that produces an effect or change.

Types of Antifungal Agents

There are several types of antifungal agents, including:

• Polyenes: These include drugs like Amphotericin B and Nystatin, which bind to ergosterol, a component of the fungal cell membrane, and create pores that cause cell components to leak out, leading to cell death.

• Azoles: These include drugs like Fluconazole, Itraconazole, and Voriconazole. They inhibit the synthesis of ergosterol, disrupting the fungal cell membrane.

• Echinocandins: These include drugs like Caspofungin, Micafungin, and Anidulafungin. They inhibit the synthesis of β-glucan, a component of the fungal cell wall, leading to cell death.

• Allylamines: These include drugs like Terbinafine. They inhibit the enzyme squalene epoxidase, disrupting ergosterol synthesis and causing fungal cell death.

Related Terms

• Mycosis: A disease caused by infection with fungi.

• Pharmaceutical drug: A drug used to diagnose, cure, treat, or prevent disease.

• Fungus: A group of unicellular, multicellular, or syncytial spore-producing organisms feeding on organic matter.

• Ergosterol: A sterol found in cell membranes of fungi and protozoa, serving many of the same functions that cholesterol serves in animal cells.

• Cell membrane: The semipermeable membrane surrounding the cytoplasm of a cell.

• Cell wall: A rigid layer lying outside the cell membrane of the cells of plants, fungi, and bacteria.

See Also

• Antibacterial agents
• Antiviral agents
• Antiparasitic agents

External links

• Medical encyclopedia article on Antifungal agents
• Wikipedia's article - Antifungal agents

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