Clotrimazole (Molecule of the Month for April 2017)
Athlete's Foot, Canesten
Clotrimazole is an antifungal medication. It is used to treat vaginal yeast infections, oral thrush, diaper rash, pityriasis versicolor, and types of ringworm including athlete's foot and jock itch. It can be taken by mouth or applied as a cream to the skin or in the vagina.
It is commonly available without a prescription in various dosage forms, such as a cream, vaginal tablet, or as a prescription troche or throat lozenge (prescription only). Topically, clotrimazole is used for vulvovaginal candidiasis (yeast infection) or yeast infections of the skin. For vulvovaginal candidiasis (yeast infection), clotrimazole tablets and creams are inserted into the vagina. Troche or throat lozenge preparations are used for oropharyngeal candidiasis (oral thrush) or prophylaxis against oral thrush in neutropenic patients.
Clotrimazole works to kill individual Candida or fungal cells by altering the permeability of the fungal cell wall. It binds to phospholipids in the cell membrane and inhibits the biosynthesis of ergosterol and other sterols required for cell membrane production. This leads to the cell's death via loss of intracellular elements.
Formal Chemical Name (IUPAC)
1-((2-chlorophenyl)diphenylmethyl)-1H-imidazole
References
Update by Karl Harrison
(Molecule of the Month for
April 2017
)
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