Beyond Motility: A Multiparametric Fitness Assay Framework to Evaluate Anthelmintics in Nippostrongylus brasiliensis

We adapted a multiparametric fitness assay panel--including ATP quantification, larval growth, pigmentation, and cuticle permeability--to assess Nippostrongylus brasiliensis viability in vitro. To validate this system, we benchmarked two known anthelmintics with distinct modes of action: quinidine, a heme detoxification disruptor, and pyrantel pamoate, a neuromuscular antagonist. We then applied this framework to NCR247, a plant-derived heme-sequestering peptide with proposed antiparasitic activity. While the assay panel sensitively detected physiological disruption by known anthelmintics, NCR247 did not significantly impair parasite fitness across any tested parameter. These findings highlight the utility of integrated viability assays and suggest further in vivo or delivery-optimized studies may be necessary to evaluate NCR247 efficacy.