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Updated: May 13, 2026

Extraction and Characterization of Surfactants from Atmospheric Aerosols
Published on: April 21, 2017
Surfactin derivatives with insecticidal activities from the deep-sea-derived Bacillus atrophaeus NB65
Yan Bai1, Zexi Zhao2, Feng Guo3
1CAS Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Silviculture, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang, China.
Abstract:
Lepidopteran pests represent one of the most significant threats to global food and fibre crop production, causing substantial economic losses. However, chemical pesticides lack selectivity and develop resistance. To discover natural biopesticides, two new surfactin derivatives, iso-C16 [Ile7] surfactin (1) and iso-C14 [MeGlu1, Ile7] surfactin (2), together with four known ones were isolated from Bacillus atrophaeus NB65, guided by insecticidal activity screening and molecular networking. Their structures were identified through comprehensive spectroscopic data analysis, the advanced Marfey's method, and quantum chemical calculations. Insecticidal activity tests indicated that 1-6 displayed moderate to weak insecticidal activities against Plutella xylostella larvae (LD50 = 16.6-77.0 µM) and Helicoverpa armigera larvae (LD50 = 42.1-81.6 µM). This is the first time to report the insecticidal activity against H. armigera larvae of surfactin derivatives. This work offers significant insights into the development of surfactin derivatives as novel insecticides for controlling some important lepidopteran pests.
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