Tolnaftate (Molecule of the Month for April 2017)
Athlete's Foot
Tolnaftate is used as an anti-fungal agent that may be sold without medical prescription. It is supplied as a cream, powder, spray, and liquid aerosol. Tolnaftate is used to treat fungal conditions such as jock itch, athlete's foot and ringworm.
Although the exact mechanism of action is not entirely known, it is believed to inhibit squalene epoxidase, an important enzyme in the biosynthetic pathway of ergosterol (a key component of the fungal membrane) in a similar way to allylamines.
Tolnaftate has been found to be generally slightly less effective than azoles when used to treat tinea pedis (athlete's foot). It is, however, useful when dealing with ringworm, especially when passed from pets to humans.
Formal Chemical Name (IUPAC)
O-(naphthalen-2-yl) methyl(m-tolyl)carbamothioate
References
click on the picture of Tolnaftate above to interact
with the 3D model of the
Tolnaftate structure
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C19H17NOS
Update by Karl Harrison
(Molecule of the Month for
April 2017
)
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