Radicicol, a Novel Lead Compound against the Migratory-Stage Schistosomula of Schistosoma japonicum.

Schistosomiasis poses a serious threat to human health and remains a major tropical and parasitic disease in more than 70 countries. Praziquantel (PZQ) has been the primary treatment for schistosomiasis for nearly 4 decades. However, its efficacy against migratory-stage schistosomula is limited. Radicicol (RAD), a β-resorcylic acid lactone derived from Paecilomyces sp. strain SC0924, was investigated as an alternative treatment for Schistosoma japonicum In vitro tests showed that within 72 h, RAD (10 μmol/liter) completely killed schistosomula of both skin and liver stages with an efficacy significantly higher than that of PZQ, although it was less potent against adult worms than PZQ. In vivo, RAD reduced worm burdens and liver eggs by 91.18% and 86.01%, respectively, by killing migratory-stage schistosomula. Optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy revealed that RAD damaged the epiderm and tegument morphology of S. japonicum worms at various stages and altered their motility to different degrees. RAD exhibited schistosomicidal effects at different stages in vitro and in vivo, especially at the migratory stage, implying that its mechanism could be different from that of PZQ. Collectively, these results showed that RAD is promising as a lead for the development of drugs to control the migratory-stage schistosomula of S. japonicum.