Which pairing is correct for antifungal class and example?

Which pairing is correct for antifungal class and example?

• A. Azoles – Fluconazole
• B. Azoles – Amphotericin B
• C. Echinocandins – Caspofungin
• D. Allylamines – Terbinafine

Answer: (A)

Antifungal drugs are grouped by how they affect the fungal cell, and this item tests matching the class with a representative drug. Fluconazole is a classic example of an azole, and azoles work by inhibiting the fungal enzyme lanosterol 14α-demethylase, which blocks the synthesis of ergosterol, a key component of the fungal cell membrane. This disruption weakens the membrane and hinders fungal growth. That’s why pairing azoles with fluconazole is correct. The other drugs belong to different classes with distinct targets: amphotericin B is a polyene that binds ergosterol directly to form membrane pores; caspofungin is an echinocandin that inhibits 1,3‑β-D‑glucan synthesis in the cell wall; terbinafine is an allylamine that inhibits squalene epoxidase in the ergosterol pathway, different from azoles.

Antifungal drugs are grouped by how they affect the fungal cell, and this item tests matching the class with a representative drug. Fluconazole is a classic example of an azole, and azoles work by inhibiting the fungal enzyme lanosterol 14α-demethylase, which blocks the synthesis of ergosterol, a key component of the fungal cell membrane. This disruption weakens the membrane and hinders fungal growth. That’s why pairing azoles with fluconazole is correct.

The other drugs belong to different classes with distinct targets: amphotericin B is a polyene that binds ergosterol directly to form membrane pores; caspofungin is an echinocandin that inhibits 1,3‑β-D‑glucan synthesis in the cell wall; terbinafine is an allylamine that inhibits squalene epoxidase in the ergosterol pathway, different from azoles.