{
  "abstract": "Angiostrongylus cantonensis is the leading cause of eosinophilic meningitis worldwide, but therapeutic options remain limited. This study investigated the anthelmintic activity and preliminary selectivity of licarin A, a neolignan isolated from Nectandra oppositifolia. The compound was evaluated in vitro against first-stage (L1) larvae, infective third-stage (L3) larvae, and adult worms, using albendazole as the reference drug. Cytotoxicity was assessed in mammalian kidney epithelial, keratinocyte, and neuronal cell models, while whole-organism toxicity was examined in Caenorhabditis elegans. Physicochemical, pharmacokinetic, drug-likeness, and toxicological properties were also predicted computationally. Licarin A was active against L1 and L3 larvae, with EC₅₀ values of 16.8 and 36.4 µM, respectively. Its activity was comparable to albendazole against L1 but lower against L3, and no relevant effect was observed against adult worms (EC₅₀ > 100 µM). No detectable cytotoxicity or lethality was observed in the mammalian cell lines or C. elegans at concentrations up to 500 µM. Computational analyses indicated favorable drug-likeness, high gastrointestinal absorption, blood-brain barrier permeation, lack of recognition as a P-glycoprotein substrate, and generally low predicted toxicity. These findings identify licarin A as a selective, stage-dependent anthelmintic hit and provide a foundation for optimization of its scaffold against parasitic nematodes.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "Research Center on Neglected Diseases, Brazil University, Guarulhos 07023-070, SP, Brazil.",
    "Interdisciplinary Laboratory of Biosciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Brasília, Brasília 70910-900, DF, Brazil.",
    "Research Center on Neglected Diseases, Scientific and Technological Institute, Brazil University, São Paulo 08230-030, SP, Brazil.",
    "Center for Natural and Human Sciences, Federal University of ABC, São Paulo 09210-180, SP, Brazil."
  ],
  "article_type": "research article",
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 8,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        1
      ],
      "name": "Elias L Neves"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Lucas Fukui-Silva",
      "orcid": "0009-0006-8829-7604"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Thainá R Teixeira"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        2
      ],
      "name": "Davi Luna-Tavares",
      "orcid": "0009-0004-6886-5980"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        3
      ],
      "name": "Felipe S Sales"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        3
      ],
      "name": "João Henrique G Lago",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-1193-8374"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1
      ],
      "name": "Nadjar Nitz",
      "orcid": "0000-0001-7820-0027"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        2
      ],
      "name": "Josué de Moraes",
      "orcid": "0000-0003-1766-7031"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/89m5690tkk513.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.3390/tropicalmed11100263",
  "fulltext_url": "https://europepmc.org/articles/PMC13709586",
  "id": "89m5690tkk513",
  "issns": [
    "2414-6366"
  ],
  "landing_url": "https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42931447",
  "language": "eng",
  "licence": "CC-BY",
  "licence_label": "CC BY",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "openalex",
      "3404|Helminth infection and control"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7214092250",
  "pdf_url": "https://europepmc.org/articles/PMC13709586?pdf=render",
  "pmcid": "PMC13709586",
  "pmid": "42931447",
  "published": "2026-09-23",
  "publisher": null,
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/89m5690tkk513.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:22:01Z",
      "native_id": "MED:42931447",
      "source": "europepmc",
      "url": "https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42931447"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "medicine",
      "origin": "journal-openalex:F27",
      "subfield": "general"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Stage-Dependent Anthelmintic Activity of Licarin A Against the Neurotropic Nematode Angiostrongylus cantonensis.",
  "title_text": "Stage-Dependent Anthelmintic Activity of Licarin A Against the Neurotropic Nematode Angiostrongylus cantonensis.",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-30T12:22:01Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/89m5690tkk513",
  "venue": "Tropical medicine and infectious disease",
  "versions": []
}