Antifungal agents selective toxicity

The selective toxicity of antibiotics is, of course, not confined to bacterial pathogens. Some of the earliest discovered antibiotics possessed other types of activity. Thus griseofulvin (1939) and nystatin (1951) are antifungal agents, and the actinomycins (1940) are antineoplastic... 

Although the antibacterial and antifungal activities of bialaphos and phosphinothricin were not found to be usehil, the two agents were later used as biodegradeable, relatively nonselective, postemergent herbicides. Glutamine synthetase inhibition is toxic to plants because the enzyme is key to ammonia assimilation. There is some selectivity for individual plant species as shown by the LD for bialaphos ranging from 0.125 to 8.5 kg/ha (301—303). 

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