Contribution to integrated studies for the control of leaf-cutting ants: nanoemulsions and nanoencapsulation of natural products and metal complexes

• Grant number: 20/03032-4
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• Start date until: June 01, 2020
• End date until: October 31, 2021
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Chemistry - Organic Chemistry
• Principal Investigator: João Batista Fernandes
• Grantee: Ana Paula Ruani
• Host Institution: Centro de Ciências Exatas e de Tecnologia (CCET). Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCAR). São Carlos , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 12/25299-6 - Integrated studies for leaf cutting control, AP.TEM

Abstract

Leaf-cutting ants have been known for centuries to have great predatory power that influences soil transformation. It is well known to farmers to use plants to control ants and this fact can be better explored using the plant's chemosystematic knowledge. Natural products from plants or microorganisms with potential insecticidal or fungicidal action on the nest of leaf-cutting ants, as well as synthetic analogues and modes of application and actions and determinations of these constitute the general objectives of the project. The participation of postdoctoral students in the execution of the project aims to contribute to its development, counting on the contribution of doctors with experiences that will be able to expand the desired results and to complete the training of candidates for the scholarships. The candidate for the scholarship, Dra. Ana Paula Rauni, that has good experience in bioactive natural products, bioactivity assays, isolation, identification and development of methodology for rapid identification of bioactive natural products using capillary electrophoresis, plant chemosystematic, will focus on: A) enzyme immobilizations on modified microelectrodes, among them recombinant symbiotic fungus, stearase and xylanase and others involved in the mechanisms of insecticidal and fungicidal action (item G of the thematic project); B) studying co-cultures of anthill microorganisms to determine expression of compounds that can be identified by HPLC-MS and NMR (item I of the thematic project) and test them for use in the control of anthills; C) obtain new complexes with metals to increase the insecticidal or fungicidal activity of natural products-metals (Intelligent luminescent metal-insecticides) (item F of the thematic project); D) evaluate the aquatic toxicity on "paulistinha" fish (Brachdanio rerio) and acute with the luminescent bacterium Vibrio fischeri (item J of the thematic project); and E) search for natural products in plants of the Order Sapindales in high scale for complexations with metals (item A-C thematic project). (AU)

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

ARAUJO, SEAN; SEIBERT, JANAINA; RUANI, ANA; DE LA CRUZ, RICARDO; CRUZ, ARTUR; PEREIRA, ALANA; ZANDONAI, DORAI; FORIM, MOACIR; SILVA, MARIA FATIMA; BUENO, ODAIR; et al. The Symbiotic Fungus Leucoagaricus gongylophorus (Moller) Singer (Agaricales, Agaricaceae) as a Target Organism to Control Leaf-Cutting Ants. INSECTS, v. 13, n. 4, p. 28-pg., 2022-04-01. (16/12304-2, 18/21936-8, 20/00819-3, 12/25299-6, 20/03032-4)