Fungicidal assemblies and their mode of action

pores thereby altering the membrane permeability, the nucleoside analogues which inhibit the synthesis of nucleic acids, some antibiotics (e.g. griseofulvin) which inhibit cell division by hampering the synthesis of the microtubules and others.1 Alternative and less toxic antifungal formulations may include natural products, synthetic agents and polymeric materials such as some saponins, alkaloids, peptides, essential Abstract Introduction Fungicidal assemblies can be built from lipids, polymers and/or drugs to yield optimal activity against fungus in virtual absence of haemolysis. Candida albicans has often been used as a model for testing novel fungicidal assemblies both in vitro and in vivo. Fungicidal drugs require appropriate formulations to improve their therapeutic index at low cost and toxicity. Inexpensive synthetic lipids or surfactants and biocompatible, water soluble polymers can be assembled to provide novel vehicles for carrying the fungicidal drugs or eventually being the fungicidal agent themselves. In this critical review, perspectives of some important fungicidal assemblies of low toxicity and cost are disclosed and major factors such as mobility of the quaternary ammonium moiety, charge of the fungus cell, size and shape of the fungicidal nanostructures determining their mode of action are presented. Conclusion The major factors determining the activity of fungicidal assemblies are the mobility of the antimicrobial moiety, the charge on the fungus cell and the size and shape of the antifungal assembly.