An azole is a class of five-membered nitrogen heterocyclic ring compounds containing at least one other noncarbon atom, nitrogen, sulfur or oxygen. The parent compounds are aromatic and have two double bonds; there are successively reduced analogs (azolines and azolidines) with less. General Name, Symbol, Number nitrogen, N, 7 Chemical series nonmetals Group, Period, Block 15, 2, p Appearance colorless Atomic mass 14. ... Heterocyclic compounds are substances which contain a ring structure as found in benzene and the aromatic compounds, or aromatic hydrocarbons, but in which other atoms than carbon, such as sulfur, oxygen or nitrogen are found as part of the ring. ...
Azole compounds play a key role as antifungals in agriculture and in human mycoses and as nonsteroidal antiestrogens in the treatment of estrogen-responsive breast tumors in postmenopausal women.
This broad use of azoles is based on their inhibition of certain pathways of steroidogenesis by high-affinity binding to the enzymes sterol 14[alpha]-demethylase and aromatase.
Azole fungicides show a broad antifungal activity and are used either to prevent fungal infections or to cure an infection.