Therapeutic Potential of Hydantoin and Thiohydantoin Compounds Against Schistosoma mansoni: An Integrated in vitro, DNA, Ultrastructural, and ADMET in silico Approach.

The study aimed to conduct in vitro biological assessments of hydantoin and thiohydantoin compounds against mature Schistosoma mansoni worms, evaluate their cytotoxic effects and predict their pharmacokinetic parameters using computational methods. The compounds showed low in vitro cytotoxicity and were not considered hemolytic. Antiparasitic activity against adult S. mansoni worms was tested with all compounds at concentrations ranging from 200 to 6.25µM. Compounds SC01, SC02, and SC03 exhibited low activity. Compounds SC04, SC05, SC06 and SC07 caused 100% mortality within 24h of incubation at a concentration of 100 and 200µM. Thiohydantoin SC04 exhibited the highest activity, resulting in 100% mortality after 24h of incubation at a concentration of 50µM and IC50 of 28µM. In the ultrastructural analysis (SEM), the compound SC04 (200µM) induced integumentary changes, formation of integumentary blisters, and destruction of tubercles and spicules. Therefore, the SC04 compound shows promise as an antiparasitic against S. mansoni.