Marine Bacteria from the Southeast Coast of Brazil as a Source of Insecticidal Compounds

Vector-borne diseases are public health concerns in equatorial, tropical, and subtropical regions. Controlling their vectors remains the main strategy to reduce disease spreading, and natural product–based insecticides can be considered sustainable allies. This work searched for promising substances in the development of insecticides against Aedes aegypti in extracts produced by marine bacteria from the Brazilian coast. One hundred extracts were tested for larvicidal activity against Ae. aegypti and analyzed by liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Twenty-four samples showed moderate to strong activity. Taxonomic identification revealed that Streptomyces and Bacillus were the most recurrent genera among them. Using the Global Natural Products Social Molecular Networking (GNPS), 242 unique compounds were annotated, with lipopeptides and terpenes among the main substances on active extracts. Finally, a taxonomic relationship between the chemical classes detected and their respective bacterial producers could be inferred. Results indicate that marine bacteria from the Brazilian coast have promising biotechnological potential for insecticide properties. Graphical abstract