Alcohol
-basic
-doesn't like to ionize
-H-bonding
-polar

Amine
-basic
-wants to ionize
-H-bonding
-polar

Carboxylic Acid
-acidic
-ionizable
-H-bonding
-solubulizes

Ether
-inert
-no H-bonding
-not ionizable
-good solvent, slightly soluble
-insoluble in water, non polar

Ester
-acidic
-wants to ionize
-H-bonding
-polar

Ketone
-can be acidic
-can ionize
-H-bonding
-polar

Functional Groups and their Importance in Amphotericin B

Amphotericin B is a lipid.  It is insoluble in water, there fore hydrophobic and lipophilic.  The alcohols in Amphotericin B serve to bind to the receptor site.  In particular, the three hydroxyl groups shown able right next to the ester, which make up part of the non-polar region of the drug, bind to flat receptor site.  The amine group on the right end of the structure able is mostly responsible for the polarity of the body of the drug in the benzene ring.  The functional groups in Amphotericin B allow the drug to have a polar end and an non-polar end.  This makes the drug look exactly like a phospholipid which has both a polar and non-polar end.  This would also contribute to the ideal receptor site for such a drug, enabling it to slide itself in the fungal area and attacking immediately.  The functional groups in Amphotericin B again enable the polar body and the non-polar body making the drug very stable.  Amphotericin B is like a rock.  It is very non-polar and insoluble.  You would expect acid-base behavior from this drug, but the non-polarity of the drug makes it had to solubolize.  The Van der Waals forces act to hold it together.  This drug mixed into a detergent mixture before injection and dissolved into micelles.  These micelles hold the Amphotericin B together long enoght so it doesn't dissolve while being injected.  However, this can also act against the drug.  If you add any kind of salt or acid-base solution containing an extreme pH, the micelles will break reverting Amphotericin B back to it's insoluble form.