| Summary: | Resistant nematodes are not affected by the most common drugs commercially available. In the search for new anthelmintics, peptides have been investigated. Here, a linear synthetic peptide named <i>RcAlb</i>-PepIII bioinspired from the antimicrobial protein <i>Rc-2S-Alb</i> was designed, synthesized, and tested against barber pole worm <i>Haemonchus contortus</i>. The physicochemical properties of the peptide, the 3D structure model, the egg hatch inhibition, and larval development inhibition of <i>H. contortus</i> were carried out. Additionally, the ultrastructure of the nematode after treatment with the peptide was evaluated by atomic force microscopy. The <i>RcAlb</i>-PepIII inhibited the larval development of <i>H. contortus</i> with an EC<sub>50</sub> of 90 µM and did not affect egg hatch. Atomic force microscopy reveals the high affinity of <i>RcAlb</i>-PepIII with the cuticle of <i>H. contortus</i> in the L2 stage. It also shows the deposition of <i>RcAlb</i>-PepIII onto the surface of the cuticle, forming a structure similar to a film that reduces the roughness and mean square roughness (Rq) of it. In conclusion, the bioinspired <i>RcAlb</i>-PepIII has the potential to be used as a new anthelmintic compound to control gastrointestinal nematode parasites.
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