Chemodiversity of Cyanobacteria from Brazil Investigated by Metabolomics and Bioassays

High Resolution Image Download MS PowerPoint Slide Investigations on cyanobacterial secondary metabolites in Brazil have been scarce, despite the country’s significant biodiversity. Herein, we report the results of a screening of cyanobacterial cultures using both bioassays and untargeted metabolomics. Nineteen cyanobacterial strains collected at various locations in Brazil were cultured. Cultures were extracted and prefractionated. Fractions were evaluated for antibacterial, cytotoxic, and antileishmanial activities. The same fractions were analyzed by UHPLC–HRMS–MS/MS. Results from bioassays and LC–MS were integrated using metabolomics tools such as NP Analyst and GNPS Molecular Networking, allowing for feature prioritization. Cyanobacteria belonging to genera Calothrix and Phormidium presented high-priority molecular features associated with observed biological activities, indicating that such strains are producers of potentially novel and bioactive metabolites.