Saturated Iso-Type Fatty Acids from the Marine Bacterium with Anti-Trypanosomal Potential.

Chagas disease is a Neglected Tropical Disease with limited and ineffective therapy. In a search for new anti-trypanosomal compounds, we investigated the potential of the metabolites from the bacteria living in the corals and sediments of the southeastern Brazilian coast. Three corals, , , and sediments yielded 11 bacterial strains that were fully identified by MALDI-ToF/MS or gene sequencing, resulting in six genera-, , , , and To conduct this study, EtOAc extracts were prepared and tested against The crude extracts showed IC values ranging from 15 to 51 μg/mL against the trypomastigotes. The bacterium was selected for fractionation, resulting in an active fraction (FII) with IC values of 17.7 μg/mL and 23.8 μg/mL against the trypomastigotes and amastigotes, respectively, with neither mammalian cytotoxicity nor hemolytic activity. Using an NMR and ESI-HRMS analysis, the FII revealed the presence of unsaturated iso-type fatty acids. Its lethal action was investigated, leading to a protein spectral profile of the parasite altered after treatment. The FII also induced a rapid permeabilization of the plasma membrane of the parasite, leading to cell death. These findings demonstrate that these unsaturated iso-type fatty acids are possible new hits against