Abstract: | Decoquinate (1), an old and inexpensive coccidiostat, exhibited potent antimalarial activity, however, its antischistosomal activity against Schistosoma japonicum has not yet been evaluated. Based on decoquinate, a series of decoquinate derivatives was designed, synthesized, evaluated as a new class of antischistosomal agents against S. japonicum adult worms in vitro. Among them, compound 15 killed 100% of adult S. japonicum in 72 h at the concentration of 10 μmol/L in vitro, exhibited stronger wormkilling activity than PZQ in vitro and could serve as a promising lead compound to develop new antischistosomal agents. |