EF24, a schistosomicidal curcumin analog: Insights from its synthesis and phenotypic, biochemical and cytotoxic activities

Praziquantel (PZQ) is the only drug available for community-based control programs which aim to reduce the prevalence and morbidity associated with schistosomiasis. Here, we synthesized and evaluated the schistosomicidal, biochemical and cytotoxic activities of EF24, a synthetic curcumin analog, against different isolates of Schistosoma mansoni. EF24 elicited marked phenotypic alterations at 10 μM against schistosomula and 42-day-old adult worms of the Naval Medical Research Institute (NMRI) isolate. EF24 had 50% effective concentration (EC