Pelgipeptins, a Nonribosomal Lipopeptide Family, Show Larvicidal Activity against Vectors Transmitting Viruses.

and are vectors of numerous diseases of worldwide public importance, such as arboviruses and filariasis. The main strategy for controlling these vectors is the use of chemicals, which can induce the appearance of resistant insects. The use of () and () with larvicidal activity against arboviral-transmitting insects has been successful in many studies. In contrast, the use and knowledge of peptides with insecticidal activity are so far scarce. In this work, 25 peptides and 5 strains of each bacterial species were prospected individually or together regarding their insecticidal activity. Initially, assays of cellular cytotoxicity of the peptides against SF21 cells of were performed. The peptides Polybia-MPII and pelgipeptin caused 69 and 60% of cell mortality, respectively, at the concentration of 10 μM. Thus, they were evaluated against second-stage larvae of the two Culicidae. However, in the bioassays, only pelgipeptin showed larvicidal mortality against both larvae (LC 6.40 μM against , and LC 1.22 μM against ). The toxin-producing bacterial strain that showed the lowest LC against was S8 (LC = 0.71 ng/mL) and against , it was S260 (LC = 2.32 ng/mL). So, the synergistic activity between the association of the bacterial toxins and pelgipeptin was evaluated. A synergic effect of pelgipeptin was observed with strain S260 against . Our results demonstrate the possibility of synergistic or individual use of both biologically active larvicides against and .