Targeting the Schistosoma mansoni nutritional mechanisms to design new antischistosomal compounds

Abstract

The chemical classes of semicarbazones, thiosemicarbazones, and hydrazones are present in various compounds, each demonstrating diverse biological activities. Extensive studies have revealed their potential as schistosomicidal agents. Thiosemicarbazones, in particular, have shown inhibitory effects on Schistosoma mansoni's cathepsin B1 enzyme (SmCB1), which plays a crucial role in hemoglobin degradation within the worm's gut and its nutrition processes. Consequently, SmCB1 has emerged as a promising target for novel schistosomiasis therapies. Moreover, chloroquinoline exhibits characteristics in its aromatic structure that hold promise for developing SmCB1 inhibitors, along with its interaction with hemoglobin's heme group, potentially synergizing against the parasite's gut. In this context, we report the synthesis of 22 hybrid analogs combining hydrazones and quinolines, evaluated against S. mansoni. Five of these hybrids demonstrated schistosomicidal activity in vitro, with GPQF-8Q10 being the most effective, causing worm mortality within 24 h at a concentration of 25 µM. GPQF-8Q8 proved to be the most promising in vivo, significantly reducing egg presence in feces (by 52.8%) and immature eggs in intestines (by 45.8%). These compounds exhibited low cytotoxicity in Vero cells and an in in vivo animal model (Caenorhabditis elegans), indicating a favorable selectivity index. This suggests their potential for the development of new schistosomiasis therapies. Further studies are needed to uncover specific target mechanisms, but these findings offer a promising starting point.