Di-rhamnolipid is a mosquito pupicidal metabolite from Pseudomonas fluorescens (VCRC B426)

Pseudomonas fluorescens Migula (VCRC B426) produces a secondary metabolite, which was found to be active against pupae of vector mosquitoes namely Culex quinquefasciatus, Anopheles stephensi and Aedes aegypti. The mosquito pupicidal metabolite from P. fluoescens was mass produced and separated by ethyl acetate extraction and purified further by silica gel column chromatography, FPLC, HPLC and TLC. The purified metabolite was characterized by NMR, FT-IR, LC-MS and MALDI-TOF. The FT-IR, (1)H and (13)C NMR results showed that it is a rhamnolipid (di-rhamnolipid). The matrix assisted laser desorption and ionization-time-of-flight spectrum of the sample showed predominant pupicidal component produced by P. fluorescens was the molecule mass of 673.40 Da. Owing to its high toxicity to mosquito pupae, especially Anopheles sp., and Aedes sp., the di-rhamnolipd has potential in the control of the vectors of dengue, chikungunya, yellow fever and malaria. This is the first report of mosquito pupicidal di-rhamnolipid from P. fluorescens.