Gondii Parasites Research Articles

Phytochemicals and Potential Therapeutic Targets on Toxoplasma gondii Parasite.

Identification of drug target in protozoan T. gondii is an important step in the development of chemotherapeutic agents. Likewise, exploring phytochemical compounds effective against the parasite can lead to the development of new drug agent that can be useful for prophylaxis and treatment of toxoplasmosis. In this review, we searched for the relevant literature on the herbs that were tested against T. gondii either in vitro or in vivo, as well as different phytochemicals and their potential activities on T. gondii. Potential activities of major phytochemicals, such as alkaloid, flavonoid, terpenoids and tannins on various target sites on T. gondii as well as other related parasites was discussed. It is believed that the phytochemicals from natural sources are potential drug candidates for the treatment of toxoplasmosis with little or no toxicity to humans.

Evolutionary puzzle of Toxoplasma gondii with suicidal ideation and suicide attempts: An updated systematic review and meta-analysis.

The World Health Organization has reported an annual global suicide rate of 14.5 per 100,000 people. On the other hand, it is estimated that approximately one-third of theglobal population are infected with Toxoplasma gondii (T.gondii) parasite. It is widely assumed that microbial pathogens, such as T.gondii, are probably associated with affective and behavioural modulation. The present article aimed to assess the proposed role of toxoplasmosis in raising the risk of suicidal ideation (SI) and suicide attempts (SA) using the available epidemiological data. Seven major electronic databases and the Internet search engine Google were searched for all the studies published between the 1st of January 1950 and 31st of October 2019. The heterogeneity and the risk ofbias within and across studies were assessed. Following data extraction, pooled odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence interval (CI) across studies were calculated using the random-effects models. A total number of 9,696 articles were screened and 27 studies were regarded as eligible in our systematic review (SI with five papers and 22 papers on SA). A significant association was detected between antibodies against T.gondii with TA (ORs=1.57; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.23-2.00, p=.000). Exploration of the association between T.gondii and SA yielded a positive effect of seropositivity for IgG antibodies but not IgM. Despite the limited number of studies, a statistical association was detected between suicidal behaviours and infection with latent T.gondii.

Evaluation of the antiparasitic activities of imidazol-2-ylidene-gold(I) complexes.

A series of cationic gold(I)-carbene complexes with various 4,5-diarylimidazolylidene ligands were either newly prepared or repurposed for testing against protozoal Leishmania major, Toxoplasma gondii, and Trypanosoma brucei parasites. The syntheses of the new complexes 1b and 1c were described. Ferrocene compound 1a showed the highest activities against L. major amastigotes and T. gondii and distinct selectivity for T. gondii cells when compared with the activity against nonmalignant Vero cells. The ferrocene derivatives 1a-c are generally more active against the L. major amastigotes and the T. gondii tachyzoites than the other tested anisyl gold complexes and the approved drugs atovaquone and amphotericin B. Compounds 1a and 1e showed the highest selectivities for L. major amastigotes. Compounds 1d and 1f showed the highest selectivities for L. major promastigotes; 1f was the most active compound against L. major promastigotes of this series of compounds. The 3,4,5-trimethoxyphenyl analog 1b also exhibited a much greater selectivity for T. b. brucei cells when compared with its activity against human HeLa cells.

Toxoplasma gondii in lambs of China: Heart juice serology, isolation and genotyping

Toxoplasmosis is one of the most common foodborne diseases in the world. The objective of this study was to determine Toxoplasma gondii infection in lambs from Henan province, China. A total of 166 lamb hearts were collected from 2017 to 2019. T. gondii infection was determined by the Modified Agglutination Test (MAT) using heart juice of lambs. 11 isolates (TgSheepCHn3 - TgSheepCHn13) were obtained from samples with MAT titers ≥1:100. The rate of T. gondii isolation increased with antibody titer against T. gondii (P < 0.05). No isolate was obtained from samples with titer 1:25 and 1:50, suggesting the cut-off titer for MAT is better set at 1:100. With cut-off value of 1:100, IgG antibodies to T. gondii were found in 25.3% (42/166) of the lambs by MAT. T. gondii parasite was not found in IHC and HE-stained tissue sections of lamb hearts (0/166). Sixty-seven heart tissues with ≥1:25 MAT titers were subjected to acid pepsin digestion and detected T. gondii by PCR. Only 7.5% (5/67) of DNA amplified products were found in heart tissues by the primer TOX5/TOX8. Brain tissue cysts were observed in all mice infected with the 11 isolates at day 60 post infection, suggesting these isolates are non-lethal to mice. PCR-RFLP analysis revealed that 7 isolates belonged to ToxoDB#2, 4 isolates belonged to ToxoDB#4. This is the first isolation of ToxoDB#2 and ToxoDB#4 from lambs in China. Interestingly, none of these isolates belongs to the ToxoDB#9 that is common in China. Our results suggest that the genetic diversity and population structure of T. gondii from China maybe more abundant and magical than previous speculation.

Assessment of Nitrofurantoin Efficacy on Treatment of Murine Model of Toxoplasmosis

Toxoplasma gondii parasite is one of the world's most common parasites which is an intracellular parasite. The aim of this work is to investigate the effect of nitrofurantoin given at a dose of 100mg/kg(2mg for each mouse) , spiramycin given at a dose of 200mg/k.g (4mg for each mouse) and a combination of both(4 days post infection for 2 weeks) on the brain cyst count of infected mice (54 laboratory-bred Swiss albino mice). Mice were contaminated for 10 cysts for Toxoplasma gondii (ME 49 strain). Five aggregations for mice were utilized within those study,three bunches for them accepted medicines and the different two were ordinary Furthermore contaminated non treated aggregations. One bunch approached with spiramycin,other approached for nitrofurantoin, and the final one approached for the blending for both. The mice were sacrified then afterward 8 weeks. The blending for both pills made 4 days post spoiling for two weeks brought about critical diminishment in the mind growth check (78) with diminishment rate( 85. 2% ) contrasted with different gatherings. This goal that nitrofurantoin Might be an satisfactory antitoxoplasmic medication regardless same time its mix with spiramycin provided for those best result.

New Antiparasitic Bis-Naphthoquinone Derivatives.

A series of bis-naphthoquinone derivatives prepared by condensation of aryl aldehydes with lawsone were tested for antiparasitic activities against Toxoplasma gondii and Trypanosoma brucei parasites. Monofluorophenyl derivative 1a, 3,4-difluorophenyl analog 1c and furyl compound 1l exhibited significant activity against T. gondii cells and appear to be new promising drug candidates against this parasite. The 3,4,5-trifluorophenyl derivative 1g and the isovanillyl derivative 1j displayed selective activity against Leishmania major amastigotes.

Can microplastics transfer Toxoplasma gondii parasites to marine foodwebs?

Can microplastics transfer Toxoplasma gondii parasites to marine foodwebs?

In vitro EVALUATION OF ATOVAQUONE ON THE REPLICATION OF TOXOPLASMA GONDII TACHYZOITES STRAINS RH AND ME49

Introduction: Since 1990 the standard treatment for toxoplasmosis has remained the same. The therapy is based on a synergistic combination of pyrimethamine and sulfadiazine, drugs that promote synthesis blockade and decrease of tachyzoite folic acid levels. This therapy acts only on the tachyzoite forms of the parasite, not affecting bradyzoites present in tissue cysts that persist in the individual during the chronic phase and not preventing possible disease reagudization even after treatment. Given the high seroprevalence of toxoplasmosis in the general population and the serious complications that this infection may bring to the patient, a safe and effective treatment against all morphological forms is necessary. The repositioning of drugs main objective is to use substances already marketed to treat other diseases. Thus, Atovaquone, which is an antimalarial of the naphthoquinone group recently accepted by the FDA and isn’t yet part of the routine treatment protocols employed for toxoplasmosis, should be studied, as recent studies show its activity against tachyzoites and also against bradyzoites, representing a huge advantage over the drugs currently used. It also does not interfere with folic acid metabolism, proving to be a promising drug in the treatment of pregnant women. Objective: The present study aims to evaluate the effects of atovaquone on T. gondii strains RH and ME49 (type I and type II, respectively) in vitro. Methodology: In quintuplicate, murine RAW 264.7 macrophages were used in six-well culture plates with 3mL of supplemented RPMI medium, where 200.000 cells were seeded and incubated at 37°C, 5% de CO2 for 24 hours. After this period, the culture was infected with 1×106 tachyzoites/well of each strain analyzed and simultaneously treated with 100 nM Atovaquone. The parasites were analyzed by optical microscopy and quantified in a Neubauer chamber at 24h, 48h, 72h and 7 days. Results: For the RH strain, the control group showed steady growth, starting at 60.000 forms/mL within 24 hours, reaching 2.550.000/mL within 7 days. When treated with Atovaquone, within 24 hours the number detected was 30.000/mL, with decline in growth resulting in only 15.000/mL observed after the first week of cultivation. Similar results were observed with the Me49 strain, which at the beginning of the experiment had 150.000/mL tachyzoites in the untreated group and 90.000/mL in the treated group and, at the end of 7 days, 1.950.000/mL tachyzoites in the untreated group and 30.000/mL in the treated group. Conclusion: Atovaquone has shown great activity in controlling Toxoplasma gondii parasite replication in vitro. Financial Support: FAPEG (Fundacao de Amparo a Pesquisa do Estado de Goias)

Measuring Solute Transport in Toxoplasma gondii Parasites.

The uptake of host-derived nutrients is key to the growth and survival of Toxoplasma gondii parasites. Nutrients are acquired via solute transporters that localize to the plasma membrane of the parasites. In this chapter, we describe methodology by which the uptake of solutes via plasma membrane transporters may be monitored and characterized. These assays, used here to investigate the uptake of amino acids into parasites, have broad applicability in measuring the uptake of a diverse range of solutes.

Prevalence of Toxoplasma gondii parasite in captive Mexican jaguars determined by recombinant surface antigens (SAG1) and dense granular antigens (GRA1 and GRA7) in ELISA-based serodiagnosis

Toxoplasma gondii is an obligate intracellular protozoan parasite that infects almost all warm-blooded animals, including humans, causing serious public health problems. In this study, the seroprevalence of T. gondii in captive jaguars in 10 Mexican zoos was determined using single and mixtures of recombinant surface antigens (SAG1) and dense granular antigens (GRA1 and GRA7) in immunoglobulin G (IgG) enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs). Their efficacy was compared with the tachyzoite lysate antigen. All recombinant antigens were characterised by high sensitivity (92.5–97.5%); the specificity of the IgG ELISAs was variable (83.3–91.6%). Mixtures of the two recombinant proteins were generally more reactive than single antigens. GRA7 + SAG1 showed the highest sensitivity (97.5%) and specificity (91.6%), almost perfect agreement (96.2%), and a kappa value of 0.89. An area under the curve value of 0.998 represented a highly accurate test with a cutoff value of 0.8. The seroprevalence of anti-T. gondii IgG antibodies in the single and mixed recombinant antigen ELISAs was 75.0–76.9%. This study shows that GRA7 + SAG1 can be successfully used to diagnose T. gondii infection in jaguars for effective monitoring of prevalence and for devising control methods and prevention strategies against toxoplasmosis.

Toxoplasma gondii, Sarcocystis sp. and Neospora caninum-like parasites in seals from northern and eastern Canada: potential risk to consumers

Zoonotic parasites of seals that are harvested for food may pose a health risk when seal meat or organ tissues of infected animals are eaten raw or undercooked. In this study, 124 tissue samples from 81 seals, comprising four species, were collected from northern and eastern Canada. Tissues from 23 ringed seals (Pusa hispida), 8 hooded seals (Cystophora cristata), 21 harp seals (Pagophilus groenlandicus), and 29 grey seals (Halichoerus grypus) were tested for parasites of the Sarcocystidae family including Toxoplasma gondii, Sarcocystis spp., and Neospora spp. using nested PCR followed by Sanger sequencing. Toxoplasma gondii DNA was present in 26% of ringed seals, 63% of hooded seals, 57% of harp seals, and 31% of grey seals. Sarcocystis sp. DNA was found in 9% of ringed seals, 13% of hooded seals, 14% of harp seals, and 4% of grey seals, while N. caninum-like DNA was present in 26% of ringed seals. While it is unclear how pinnipeds may become infected with these protozoans, horizontal transmission is most likely. However, one harp seal pup (4 days old) was PCR-positive for T. gondii, suggesting vertical transmission may also occur. Phylogenetic analysis of the 18S gene region indicates that Sarcocystis sp. in these seals belongs to a unique genotype. Furthermore, this study represents a new host report for T. gondii in harp seals, a new host and geographic report for N. caninum-like parasites in ringed seals, and four new hosts and geographic reports for Sarcocystis sp. These results demonstrate that parasites of the Sarcocystidae family are prevalent in northern and eastern Canadian seals. While the zoonotic potential of Sarcocystis sp. and the N. caninum-like parasite are unclear, consumption of raw or undercooked seal meat or organ tissues pose a risk of T. gondii infection to consumers.

Global Lysine Crotonylation and 2-Hydroxyisobutyrylation in Phenotypically Different Toxoplasma gondii Parasites

Toxoplasma gondii is a unicellular protozoan parasite of the phylum Apicomplexa. The parasite repeatedly goes through a cycle of invasion, division and induction of host cell rupture, which is an obligatory process for proliferation inside warm-blooded animals. It is known that the biology of the parasite is controlled by a variety of mechanisms ranging from genomic to epigenetic to transcriptional regulation. In this study, we investigated the global protein posttranslational lysine crotonylation and 2-hydroxyisobutyrylation of two T. gondii strains, RH and ME49, which represent distinct phenotypes for proliferation and pathogenicity in the host. Proteins with differential expression and modification patterns associated with parasite phenotypes were identified. Many proteins in T. gondii were crotonylated and 2-hydroxyisobutyrylated, and they were localized in diverse subcellular compartments involved in a wide variety of cellular functions such as motility, host invasion, metabolism and epigenetic gene regulation. These findings suggest that lysine crotonylation and 2-hydroxyisobutyrylation are ubiquitous throughout the T. gondii proteome, regulating critical functions of the modified proteins. These data provide a basis for identifying important proteins associated with parasite development and pathogenicity.

Seroprevalence And Risk Factors of Toxoplasmosis among Undergraduate Female Students of University of Duhok

Toxoplasmosis is a zoonotic infection caused by Toxoplasma gondii parasite. University female students are at the age of childbearing and their status of T. gondii infection is important. Thus, early detection and therapy are of extraordinary importance. Therefore, this study aimed to find out the seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii infection among undergraduate female students of University of Duhok. A cluster stratified sampling procedure was used for each college in Duhok University and a proportionate number pulled from each stratum as a simple random sampling procedure. So, the four hundred ninety-six (496) serum samples were collected from November 2017 to February 2018. A questionnaire was used to collect socio-demographic and risk factors-related data. The venous blood specimens were examined for anti-Toxoplasma gondii antibodies by using Enzyme-linked Immunosorbent assay to detect Anti-Immunoglobulin G and M related to Toxoplasma gondii. Analyzing data were done through the application of SPSS software (Version 23 IBM). The finding of the present study revealed that the mean age of respondents was 21 years (SD ±1.668). Besides, 220 (44.4%) were found out to be seropositive for Toxoplasma gondii Anti-Immunoglobulin G and 55 (11.1%) for Anti-Immunoglobulin M antibodies. In addition, the more dominant risk factors that rose throughout the present study were among those they do not have information regarding toxoplasmosis and took raw or undercooked meat. Likewise, the prevalence of Toxoplasma gondii infection was high in female students at University of Duhok. &nbsp

A Molecular and Histological study of Turkey birds infected with Toxoplasmosis

Toxoplasma gondii parasite has three contagious stages: the oocytes, which is introduced into the external environment with the feces of the infected cats, which later form the spores. The current study depended on detection of T. gondii parasite used to Polymerase chain reaction, as well as the lack of time and effort required to perform them, the result of the test, 10 samples were selected for dissection and investigation of B1 (399bp) in their organs (liver, eye and intestine) using the normal polymerase chain reaction technique. There were (4) samples (40%) of the birds containing the tissues on the gene B1 (399bp) and recorded the highest incidence of the gene in the samples of the liver, where 30% (three samples) and one sample in the small intestine by 10% B1 in the eye samples, the results of the statistical analysis indicated that there were significant differences in the ratio of TWA D gene B1 in the tissues of the bird members under the level of probability of P⩽0.05, In the study of histopathological changes in turkey birds members, the presence of Lesions lesions associated with infection in both the liver and the small intestine was characterized by the presence of congestion in the blood vessels, as well as the expansion of the jibaniat with the loss of the engineering structure of the liver. In the tissue with a degenerative degeneration.

Pyruvate Homeostasis as a Determinant of Parasite Growth and Metabolic Plasticity in Toxoplasma gondii.

Toxoplasma gondii is a widespread intracellular pathogen infecting humans and a variety of animals. Previous studies have shown that Toxoplasma uses glucose and glutamine as the main carbon sources to support asexual reproduction, but neither nutrient is essential. Such metabolic flexibility may allow it to survive within diverse host cell types. Here, by focusing on the glycolytic enzyme pyruvate kinase (PYK) that converts phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP) into pyruvate, we found that Toxoplasma can also utilize lactate and alanine. We show that catabolism of all indicated carbon sources converges at pyruvate, and maintaining a constant pyruvate supply is critical to parasite growth. Toxoplasma expresses two PYKs: PYK1 in the cytosol and PYK2 in the apicoplast (a chloroplast relict). Genetic deletion of PYK2 did not noticeably affect parasite growth and virulence, which contrasts with the current model of carbon metabolism in the apicoplast. On the other hand, PYK1 was refractory to disruption. Conditional depletion of PYK1 resulted in global alteration of carbon metabolism, amylopectin accumulation, and reduced cellular ATP, leading to severe growth impairment. Notably, the attenuated growth of the PYK1-depleted mutant was partially rescued by lactate or alanine supplementation, and rescue by lactate required lactate dehydrogenase activity to convert it to pyruvate. Moreover, depletion of PYK1 in conjunction with PYK2 ablation led to accentuated loss of apicoplasts and complete growth arrest. Together, our results underline a critical role of pyruvate homeostasis in determining the metabolic flexibility and apicoplast maintenance, and they significantly extend our current understanding of carbon metabolism in T. gondiiIMPORTANCEToxoplasma gondii infects almost all warm-blooded animals, and metabolic flexibility is deemed critical for its successful parasitism in diverse hosts. Glucose and glutamine are the major carbon sources to support parasite growth. In this study, we found that Toxoplasma is also competent in utilizing lactate and alanine and, thus, exhibits exceptional metabolic versatility. Notably, all these nutrients need to be converted to pyruvate to fuel the lytic cycle, and achieving a continued pyruvate supply is vital to parasite survival and metabolic flexibility. Although pyruvate can be generated by two distinct pyruvate kinases, located in cytosol and apicoplast, respectively, the cytosolic enzyme is the main source of subcellular pyruvate, and cooperative usage of pyruvate among multiple organelles is critical for parasite growth and virulence. These findings expand our current understanding of carbon metabolism in Toxoplasma gondii and related parasites while providing a basis for designing novel antiparasitic interventions.

Robust Control of a Brain-Persisting Parasite through MHC I Presentation by Infected Neurons

Control of CNS pathogens by CD8 Tcells is key to avoid fatal neuroinflammation. Yet, the modalities of MHC I presentation in the brain are poorly understood. Here, we analyze the antigen presentation mechanisms underlying CD8 Tcell-mediated control of the Toxoplasma gondii parasite in the CNS. We show that MHC I presentation of an efficiently processed model antigen (GRA6-OVA), even when not expressed in the bradyzoite stage, reduces cyst burden and dampens encephalitis in C57BL/6 mice. Antigen presentation assays with infected primary neurons reveal a correlation between lower MHC I presentation of tachyzoite antigens by neurons and poor parasite control invivo. Using conditional MHC I-deficient mice, we find that neuronal MHC I presentation is required for robust restriction of T.gondii in the CNS during chronic phase, showing the importance of MHC I presentation by CNS neurons in the control of a prevalent brain pathogen.

Toxoplasma gondii Strains: Bioinformatic Analysis of Heat shock protein 60 Gene in Experimentally Infected Mice

Background and study aim: There is a need for more detailed characterisation of T. gondii strains to determine the level of genetic variability which is useful in effective diagnosis, treatment and control of toxoplasmosis. This work aimed to assess the difference between the two sequences of Hsp60 gene of both RH and ME 49 strains of T. gondii and to investigate its role in the virulence of the parasite. Materials and Methods: Two strains of T. gondii parasite RH and ME-49 were used for experimental infection of mice groups which were divided into group I (infected with RH strain), group II (infected with ME-49), and group III (non-infected non treated group). Results: Histopathological examination showed that there was a statistically significant increase in the intensity of infection in liver and spleen of group I and in kidney and brain of group II, with no difference between both groups organs. Molecular and Bioinformatics studies included Primers design using primer 3 program, primer 2 (P2) was selected and used in PCR amplification according to its highest product size 247 bp. The results of Insilico PCR amplification program that was carried out to amplify Hsp60 gene theoretically using primer 2 (P2) showed higher number of positive samples that detected in group II than group I, there was significant statistical increase in frequency of brain infection in group II. Conclusion: Our results showed that PCR was a highly sensitive, specific and rapid technique for detecting T. gondii. It revealed higher positive results in chronic strain (ME49) especially in brain tissue than acute strain (RH) but it may show false negative results in some samples. Both PCR technique and histopathological examination showed that the preferred tissue for detection of T. gondii in experimentally infected mice was liver & spleen in acute strain (RH) and brain & kidney in chronic strain (ME49). Bioinformatic analysis of Hsp60 gene sequences of both (RH & ME 49) strains of T. gondii showed that there was a polymorphism in some nucleotides between the 2 sequences.

An Overview of Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells as a Model for Immunological Research of Toxoplasma gondii and Other Apicomplexan Parasites.

In biology, models are experimental systems meant to recreate aspects of diseases or human tissue with the goal of generating inferences and approximations that can contribute to the resolution of specific biological problems. Although there are many models for studying intracellular parasites, their data have produced critical contradictions, especially in immunological assays. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) represent an attractive tissue source in pharmacogenomics and in molecular and immunologic studies, as these cells are easily collected from patients and can serve as sentinel tissue for monitoring physiological perturbations due to disease. However, these cells are a very sensitive model due to variables such as temperature, type of stimulus and time of collection as part of posterior processes. PBMCs have been used to study Toxoplasma gondii and other apicomplexan parasites. For instance, this model is frequently used in new therapies or vaccines that use peptides or recombinant proteins derived from the parasite. The immune response to T. gondii is highly variable, so it may be necessary to refine this cellular model. This mini review highlights the major approaches in which PBMCs are used as a model of study for T. gondii and other apicomplexan parasites. The variables related to this model have significant implications for data interpretation and conclusions related to host-parasite interaction.

Epidermal growth factor receptor promotes cerebral and retinal invasion by Toxoplasma gondii

Little is known about strategies used by pathogens to facilitate CNS invasion. Toxoplasma gondii reaches the CNS by circulating in blood within leukocytes or as extracellular tachyzoites. T. gondii induces EGFR signaling in vitro during invasion of mammalian cells. We examined the effects of endothelial cell EGFR on CNS invasion. Transgenic mice whose endothelial cells expressed a dominant negative (DN) EGFR (inhibits EGFR signaling) exhibited diminished parasite load and histopathology in the brain and retina after T. gondii infection. I.V. administration of infected leukocytes or extracellular tachyzoites led to reduced parasite loads in mice with DN EGFR. This was not explained by enhanced immunity or reduced leukocyte recruitment. Endothelial cell infection is key for CNS invasion. Parasite foci in brain endothelial cells were reduced by DN EGFR. DN EGFR in these cells led to recruitment of the autophagy protein LC3 around T. gondii and spontaneous parasite killing dependent on the autophagy protein ULK1 and lysosomal enzymes. The autophagy inhibitor 3-MA prevented DN EGFR mice from exhibiting reduced CNS invasion. Altogether, EGFR is a novel regulator of T. gondii invasion of neural tissue, enhancing invasion likely by promoting survival of the parasite within endothelial cells.

Protein targets of thiazolidinone derivatives in Toxoplasma gondii and insights into their binding to ROP18

BackgroundThiazolidinone derivatives show inhibitory activity (IC50) against the Toxoplasma gondii parasite, as well as high selectivity with high therapeutic index. To disclose the target proteins of the thiazolidinone core in this parasite, we explored in silico the active sites of different T. gondii proteins and estimated the binding-free energy of reported thiazolidinone molecules with inhibitory effect on invasion and replication of the parasite inside host cells. This enabled us to describe some of the most suitable structural characteristics to design a compound derived from the thiazolidinone core.ResultsThe best binding affinity was observed in the active site of kinase proteins, we selected the active site of the T. gondii ROP18 kinase, because it is an important factor for the virulence and survival of the parasite. We present the possible effect of a derivative of thiazolidinone core in the active site of T. gondii ROP18 and described some characteristics of substituent groups that could improve the affinity and specificity of compounds derived from the thiazolidinone core against T. gondii.ConclusionsThe results of our study suggest that compounds derived from the thiazolidinone core have a preference for protein kinases of T. gondii, being promising compounds for the development of new drugs with potential anti-toxoplasmosis activity. Our findings highlight the importance of use computational studies for the understanding of the action mechanism of compounds with biological activity.