General Description
White crystalline powder.
Air & Water Reactions
Insoluble in water.
Fire Hazard
Flash point data for this chemical are not available; however, ECONAZOLE NITRATE is probably combustible.
Chemical Properties
White to Off-White Solid
Originator
Pevaryl,Cilag Chemie,France,1976
Uses
Antifungal;Ergosterol synthesis inhibition
Uses
Econazole nitrate is an antifungal agent of the imidazole type used in topical and vaginal preparations to prevent growth of dermatophytes, yeast, and mold.
Manufacturing Process
A suspension of 10.3 parts of α-(2,4-dichlorophenyl)-imidazole-1-ethanol and
2.1 parts of sodium hydride in 50 parts of dry tetrahydrofuran is stirred andrefluxed for 2 hours. After this reaction-time, the evolution of hydrogen is
ceased. Then there are added successively 60 parts dimethylformamide and 8
parts of p-chlorobenzylchloride and stirring and refluxing is continued for
another two hours. The tetrahydrofuran is removed at atmospheric pressure.
The dimethylformamide solution is poured onto water. The product, 1-[2,4-
dichloro-β-(p-chlorobenzyloxy)phenethyl]imidazole, is extracted with benzene.
The extract is washed with water, dried, filtered and evaporated in vacuo.
From the residual oily free base, the nitrate salt is prepared in the usual
manner in 2-propanol by treatment with concentrated nitric acid, yielding,
after recrystallization of the crude solid salt from a mixture of 2-propanol,
methanol and diisopropylether, 1-[2,4-dichloro-β-(pchlorobenzyloxy)phenethyl]imidazole nitrate; MP 162°C.
Brand name
Spectazole (Johnson & Johnson).
Therapeutic Function
Antifungal
Biochem/physiol Actions
Econazole interacts with 14-α demethylase, a cytochrome P-450 enzyme necessary to convert lanosterol to ergosterol. Inhibition of ergosterol results in increased cellular permeability causing leakage of cellular contents. Econazole may also inhibit endogenous respiration, interact with membrane phospholipids, inhibit the transformation of yeasts to mycelial forms, inhibit purine uptake, and impair triglyceride and phospholipid biosynthesis.
