Activities and structures of dataset compounds

<div><p>Schistosomiasis, also known as bilharzia or snail fever, is a tropical parasitic disease resulting from flatworms of the Schistosoma genus. This often overlooked disease has significant impacts in affected regions, causing enduring morbidity, hindering child development, reducing productivity, and creating economic burdens. Praziquantel (PZQ) is currently the only treatment option for schistosomiasis. Given the potential rise of drug resistance and the limited treatment choices available, there is a need to develop more effective inhibitors for this neglected tropical disease (NTD). In view of this, quantitative structure-activity relationship studies (QSAR), molecular docking, molecular dynamics simulations, drug-likeness, and ADMET predictions were applied to 31 inhibitors of Schistosoma mansoni Dihydroorotate dehydrogenase (SmDHODH). The designed QSAR model demonstrated robust statistical parameters including an R<sup>2</sup> of 0.911, R<sup>2</sup><sub>adj</sub> of 0.890, Q<sup>2</sup>cv of 0.686, R<sup>2</sup><sub>pred</sub> of 0.807, and cR<sup>2</sup>p of 0.825, confirming its robustness. Compound <b>26</b>, identified as the most active derivative, emerged as a lead candidate for new potential inhibitors through ligand-based drug design. Subsequently, 12 novel compounds (<b>26A</b>-<b>26L</b>) were designed with enhanced inhibition activity and binding affinity. Molecular docking studies revealed strong and stable interactions, including hydrogen bonding and hydrophobic interactions, between the designed compounds and the target receptor. Molecular dynamics simulations over 100 nanoseconds and MM-PBSA free binding energy (ΔG<sub>bind</sub>) calculations validated the stability of the two best-designed molecules (<b>26A</b> and <b>26L</b>). Furthermore, drug-likeness and ADMET prediction analyses affirmed the potential of these designed compounds, suggesting their promise as innovative agents for treating schistosomiasis.</p></div>