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Rocha V, Cajas RA, Andrade-de-Siqueira AI, Almeida RBP, Godoy-Silva J, Gonçalves MM, Lago JHG, de Moraes J. Evaluating the Antischistosomal Activity of Dehydrodieugenol B and Its Methyl Ether Isolated from Nectandra leucantha-A Preclinical Study against Schistosoma mansoni Infection. ACS Omega 2023; 8:40890-40897. [PMID: 37929107 PMCID: PMC10620922 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.3c06111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2023] [Accepted: 10/06/2023] [Indexed: 11/07/2023]
Abstract
Schistosomiasis, a parasitic disease affecting nearly 250 million individuals globally, poses a significant health challenge. With praziquantel being the sole available treatment and its limited efficacy in early stage infections, the identification of novel bioactive compounds becomes imperative. This study examines the potential of dehydrodieugenol B (1) and its methyl ether (2), derived from the leaves of the Brazilian Nectandra leucantha plant (Lauraceae), in combatting Schistosoma mansoni infections through a preclinical approach. Initially, compound 1 displayed noteworthy in vitro antiparasitic activity with an EC50 of 31.9 μM, showcasing low toxicity in mammalian cells and an in vivo animal model (Caenorhabditis elegans). Conversely, compound 2 exhibited no activity. In silico predictions pointed to favorable oral bioavailability and the absence of PAINS similarities. Subsequently, a single oral dose of 400 mg/kg of compound 1 or praziquantel was administered to mice infected with adult (patent infection) or immature parasites (prepatent infection). Remarkably, in prepatent infections, 1 resulted in a significant reduction (approximately 50%) in both worm and egg burden, while praziquantel reduced worm and egg numbers by 30%. The superior efficacy of dehydrodieugenol B (1) compared to praziquantel in premature infections holds the potential to advance the development of new molecular prototypes for schistosomiasis treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vinicius
C. Rocha
- Instituto
de Ciências Ambientais, Químicas e Farmacêuticas, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Diadema 09972-270, Brazil
| | - Rayssa A. Cajas
- Núcleo
de Pesquisa em Doenças Negligenciadas, Universidade Guarulhos, Guarulhos, São Paulo 07023-070, Brazil
| | | | - Roberto B. P. Almeida
- Departamento
de Botânica, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo 05508-090, Brazil
| | - Julia Godoy-Silva
- Núcleo
de Pesquisa em Doenças Negligenciadas, Universidade Guarulhos, Guarulhos, São Paulo 07023-070, Brazil
| | - Marina M. Gonçalves
- Centro
de Ciências Naturais e Humanas, Universidade
Federal do ABC, Santo
André, São Paulo 09210-180, Brazil
| | - João Henrique G. Lago
- Centro
de Ciências Naturais e Humanas, Universidade
Federal do ABC, Santo
André, São Paulo 09210-180, Brazil
| | - Josué de Moraes
- Núcleo
de Pesquisa em Doenças Negligenciadas, Universidade Guarulhos, Guarulhos, São Paulo 07023-070, Brazil
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Roquini V, Mengarda AC, Cajas RA, Martins-da-Silva MF, Godoy-Silva J, Santos GA, Espírito-Santo MCC, Pavani TFA, Melo VA, Salvadori MC, Teixeira FS, Rando DGG, de Moraes J. The Existing Drug Nifuroxazide as an Antischistosomal Agent: In Vitro, In Vivo, and In Silico Studies of Macromolecular Targets. Microbiol Spectr 2023; 11:e0139323. [PMID: 37409934 PMCID: PMC10434008 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.01393-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2023] [Accepted: 06/15/2023] [Indexed: 07/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Schistosomiasis is a parasitic disease that afflicts approximately 250 million people worldwide. There is an urgent demand for new antiparasitic agents because praziquantel, the only drug available for the treatment of schistosomiasis, is not universally effective and may derail current progress toward the WHO goal of eliminating this disease as a public health problem by 2030. Nifuroxazide (NFZ), an oral nitrofuran antibiotic, has recently been explored to be repurposed for parasitic diseases. Here, in vitro, in vivo, and in silico studies were conducted to evaluate the activity of NFZ on Schistosoma mansoni. The in vitro study showed significant antiparasitic activity, with 50% effective concentration (EC50) and 90% effective concentration (EC90) values of 8.2 to 10.8 and 13.7 to 19.3 μM, respectively. NFZ also affected worm pairing and egg production and induced severe damage to the tegument of schistosomes. In vivo, a single oral dose of NFZ (400 mg/kg of body weight) to mice harboring either prepatent or patent S. mansoni infection significantly reduced the total worm burden (~40%). In patent infection, NFZ achieved a high reduction in the number of eggs (~80%), but the drug caused a low reduction in the egg burden of animals with prepatent infection. Finally, results from in silico target fishing methods predicted that serine/threonine kinases could be one of the potential targets for NFZ in S. mansoni. Overall, the present study revealed that NFZ possesses antischistosomal properties, mainly in terms of egg burden reduction in animals with patent S. mansoni infection. IMPORTANCE The increasing recognition of the burden imposed by helminthiasis, associated with the limited therapeutic arsenal, has led to initiatives and strategies to research and develop new drugs for the treatment of schistosomiasis. One of these strategies is drug repurposing, which considers low-risk compounds with potentially reduced costs and shorter time for development. In this study, nifuroxazide (NFZ) was evaluated for its anti-Schistosoma mansoni potential through in vitro, in vivo, and in silico studies. In vitro, NFZ affected worm pairing and egg production and induced severe damage to the tegument of schistosomes. In vivo, a single oral dose of NFZ (400 mg/kg) to mice harboring either prepatent or patent S. mansoni infection significantly reduced the total worm burden and egg production. In silico investigations have identified serine/threonine kinases as a molecular target for NFZ. Collectively, these results implied that NFZ might be a potential therapeutic candidate for the treatment of schistosomiasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vinícius Roquini
- Research Center on Neglected Diseases, Guarulhos University, Guarulhos, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Ana C. Mengarda
- Research Center on Neglected Diseases, Guarulhos University, Guarulhos, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Rayssa A. Cajas
- Research Center on Neglected Diseases, Guarulhos University, Guarulhos, São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | - Julia Godoy-Silva
- Research Center on Neglected Diseases, Guarulhos University, Guarulhos, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Gustavo A. Santos
- Research Center on Neglected Diseases, Guarulhos University, Guarulhos, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Maria Cristina C. Espírito-Santo
- Laboratory of Immunopathology of Schistosomiasis (LIM-06), Department of Infectious and Parasitic Diseases, Faculty of Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
- Laboratory of Helminthology, Institute of Tropical Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Thais F. A. Pavani
- Biological Chemistry Post-Graduate Course, Institute of Environmental, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Federal University of São Paulo, Diadema, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Vanusa A. Melo
- Biological Chemistry Post-Graduate Course, Institute of Environmental, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Federal University of São Paulo, Diadema, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Maria C. Salvadori
- Institute of Physics, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | - Daniela G. G. Rando
- Chemico-Pharmaceutical Research Group, Institute of Environmental, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Federal University of São Paulo, Diadema, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Josué de Moraes
- Research Center on Neglected Diseases, Guarulhos University, Guarulhos, São Paulo, Brazil
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