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Ovicidal activity of diaryl dichalcogenides and ivermectin on Fasciola hepatica: A novel candidate for a blending-based therapeutic strategy.

Irineu Romero-NetoThayany Magalhães de AlmeidaTay ZugmanLeandro PiovanMarcelo Beltrão Molento
Published in: Acta tropica (2024)
Fasciolosis is a food and waterborne disease caused by Fasciola spp., representing a global health burden to various hosts, including humans and other animals. This study investigates the in vitro activity of tellurium- and selenium-containing diaryl dichalcogenides: diacetal ditelluride (LQ07), diacetal diselenide (LQ62), and diacetyl diselenide (LQ68) alone and in combination with ivermectin (IVM) against eggs of Fasciola hepatica. The eggs were exposed for 12 h with each organochalcogen (OC) (0.1 - 2 mmol l -1 ) and IVM (0.01 - 2 mmol l -1 ) following an incubation of 15 days, allowing embryonation. The inhibitory concentration of 50 % (IC 50 ) of each OC or IVM was tested with the IC 10 , IC 30 , and IC 50 of IVM or each OC, respectively. LQ07, LQ62, and LQ68, as well as IVM, demonstrated a concentration-dependent ovicidal activity. The peak ovicidal activity of 99.74 % was achieved when IVM was tested at 2.0 mmol l -1 . LQ62 and LQ68 demonstrated greater ovicidal activity, having an IC 50 < 0.32 mmol l -1 being 6.25-fold more toxic than IVM alone. The percentage of dead eggs was significantly higher in the IVM group (early mortality), as Se-containing OCs led to the (miracidia) embryonation of the eggs with no hatching (late mortality). Blending Se-containing OCs and IVM showed an additive effect of up to 27 % against F. hepatica eggs. The present data contribute to the potential use of blending-based therapeutic strategies to combat F. hepatica infections in eradication programs worldwide. The combinations may also act against multidrug-resistant strains, reinstating drug-based parasite control.
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