Mosquito Larvicides from Cyanobacteria

Authors

Gerald A. Berry, Florida International UniversityFollow

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Major/Program

Biology

First Advisor's Name

Fernando Noriega

First Advisor's Committee Title

Co-Committee Chair

Second Advisor's Name

John Berry

Second Advisor's Committee Title

Co-Committee Chair

Third Advisor's Name

Evelyn Gaiser

Fourth Advisor's Name

Miroslav Gantar

Fifth Advisor's Name

Kathleen Rein

Keywords

Mosquito, Larvicide, Cyanobacteria, Fatty Acid, Palmitoleic Acid

Date of Defense

4-16-2014

Abstract

Cyanobacteria (blue-green algae) produce a diverse array of toxic or otherwise bioactive metabolites. These allelochemicals may also play a role in defense against potential predators and grazers, particularly aquatic invertebrates and their larvae, including mosquitoes. Compounds derived from cyanobacteria collected from the Florida Everglades and other Florida waterways were investigated as insecticides against the mosquito Aedes aegypti, a vector of dengue and yellow fever. Screening of cyanobacterial biomass revealed several strains that exhibited mosquito larvicidal activity. Guided via bioassay guided fractionation, a non-polar compound from Leptolyngbya sp. 21-9-3 was found to be the most active component. Characterization revealed the prospective compound to be a monounsaturated fatty acid with the molecular formula C₁₆H₃₀O₂. This is the first evidence of mosquito larvicidal activity for this particular fatty acid. With larvicidal becoming more prevalent, fatty acids should be explored for future mosquito control strategies.

Identifier

FI14071114

Recommended Citation

Berry, Gerald A., "Mosquito Larvicides from Cyanobacteria" (2014). FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 1449.
https://digitalcommons.fiu.edu/etd/1449