Triazole antifungals. II. Synthesis and antifungal activities of 3-acyl-4-methyloxazolidine derivatives.

Triazole compounds with an oxazolidine ring were designed and synthesized as a potential inhibitor of the fungal cytochrome P450 14 alpha-demethylase. In testing for antifungal activity against a mouse systemic Candida albicans infection, (4R,5R)-3-acyl-4-methyloxazolidine derivatives 4 exhibited remarkably high efficacy after oral or parenteral dosing. The potent activity of 4 is hypothesized to be a consequence of a structural similarity between 4 and lanosterol, a target molecule of the cytochrome P450 14 alpha-demethylase. Highly stereoselective synthesis of these oxazolidines is also described.