Efects of Usnic, Barbatic and Fumarprotocetraric acids on Survival of Nasutitermes corniger (Isoptera: Termitidae: Nasutitermitinae)

Abstract

Lichens (Algal-Fungal association) synthesize unique chemical substances with different biological activities. Three pure lichen compounds were assayed to evaluate their potential insecticidal activity against the termite Nasutitermes corniger on Petri dishes. Usnic, fumarprotocetraric and barbatic acids were isolated and purified from the lichens Cladonia substellata, C. verticillaris and Cladia aggregata, respectively, using thin-layer and high-performance liquid chromatography for attesting their purity. Nuclear proton magnetic resonance and infrared spectrophotometry was used for their chemical characterization. After exposure, mortality of termites (workers and soldiers) was determined during 11 days period. The termiticidal effect was influenced by the exposure time and the type of member colony. The results showed that lichen substances, tested at 5, 7 and 10 mg mL-1, have a termiticidal activity (~100%) on worker termites after 8th days of treatment, in comparison with controls. However, no significant effect on soldiers was found. These findings indicate that usnic, fumarprotocetraric and barbatic acids are potential compounds for use in the control of this urban pest.

The Natural Compound Hydrophobic Usnic Acid and Hydrophilic Potassium Usnate Derivative: Applications and Comparisons

“…Scientific research has driven the development of innovative alternatives, considering usnic acid as a source in obtaining new molecules, allowing structural modifications (syntheses) from usnic acid, whose purpose is to potentiate biological activity, leading to an optimization of therapeutic activity [ 24 , 25 ]. Our research group has expertise with relevant scientific productions with usnic acid [ 26 , 27 , 28 , 29 , 30 , 31 , 32 , 33 ] and the production/synthesis of its derivative, potassium usnate [ 34 , 35 , 36 , 37 , 38 , 39 , 40 ]. This article aimed to describe the research found in the literature, the following databases were used: MEDLINE, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL/CCTR), Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI), Scientific Electronic Library Online (SciELO), Health of Latin America and the Caribbean Scientific Literature (LILACS), Google Scholar, and reference lists of relevant articles making an analogy of the molecule of usnic acid with potassium usnate, emphasizing the elucidation and structural characteristics, biological activities, bioavailability and toxicological aspects of both molecules and the advantages of using the promising hydrophilic derivative in different in vitro and in vivo assays when compared to usnic acid.…”

In Vitro Anthelminthic Activity and Ultrastructural Analysis of Barbatic Acid against Schistosomulae and Juvenile Worms of Schistosoma mansoni**

“…[23] Among the lichen phenolic compounds, barbatic acid, a depside found in lichen species such as Usnea longissima, [24] Cladonia salzmannii [25] and Cladia aggregata, [26] has several biological activities already proven as a bactericide, antioxidant, herbicide, antitumor and molluscicide. [26][27][28][29][30][31] In a study conducted by Martins et al, barbatic acid also showed promising cercaricidal activity against S. mansoni [26] and schistosomicidal activity on adult worms of S. mansoni. [11] In this sense, considering the absence of alternative drugs to PZQ that act on the juvenile stages of S. mansoni, the aim of the present study was to evaluate the in vitro schistosomicidal potential of barbatic acid obtained from lichen Cladia aggregata through the analysis of parameters of mortality, motility, cell viability of the worms and tegumentary alterations by scanning electron microscopy against schistosomulae and young worms of S. mansoni.…”