Author(s):
Pereira, Isabel ; Macedo, Helena ; Ferreira, Inês ; Gonçalves, Bárbara ; Piçarra, Susana ; Sobral, Rita G. ; Diniz, Mário ; Gaudêncio, Susana P.
Date: 2025
Persistent ID: http://hdl.handle.net/10362/183801
Origin: Repositório Institucional da UNL
Project/scholarship:
info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/FCT/6817 - DCRRNI ID/UIDP%2F04378%2F2020/PT;
info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/FCT/Concurso para Atribuição do Estatuto e Financiamento de Laboratórios Associados (LA)/LA%2FP%2F0140%2F2020/PT;
info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/FCT/Concurso de avaliação no âmbito do Programa Plurianual de Financiamento de Unidades de I&D (2017%2F2018) - Financiamento Base/UIDB%2F00100%2F2020/PT;
info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/FCT/Concurso de avaliação no âmbito do Programa Plurianual de Financiamento de Unidades de I&D (2017%2F2018) - Financiamento Programático/UIDP%2F00100%2F2020/PT;
info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/FCT/Concurso para Atribuição do Estatuto e Financiamento de Laboratórios Associados (LA)/LA%2FP%2F0056%2F2020/PT;
Subject(s): Actinobacteria; Actinomycetes; Antibiofilm; Antifouling; Biofouling; Blue Biotechnology, Circular Bioeconomy; Eco-friendly solutions; Marine fouling; Marine natural products; Marine paints and coatings; Napyradiomycins; Secondary metabolites; Sustainability; Environmental Science(all); Soil Science; Plant Science; SDG 13 - Climate Action; SDG 14 - Life Below Water
Description
Funding Information: This publication is based upon work performed with national funds from FCT–Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, IP, in the scope of the project UIDP/04378/2020 of the Research Unit on Applied Molecular Biosciences–UCIBIO and the project LA/P/0140/ 2020 of the Associate Laboratory Institute for Health and Bioeconomy–i4HB. Centro de Química Estrutural, CQE (UIDB/00100/2020 and UIDP/00100/2020) and Associate Laboratory Institute of Molecular Sciences, IMS (LA/P/0056/2020). This paper is financed by Instituto Politécnico de Setúbal Publisher Copyright: © 2025 The Authors
This study introduces a groundbreaking approach to marine antifouling by incorporating napyradiomycins extracts, meroterpenoids derived from marine actinomycetes, into biocide-free coatings, establishing the first comprehensive assessment of their dual antimicro- and antimacrofouling potential. By leveraging naturally derived bioactives, this work pioneers a sustainable alternative to copper- and ivermectin-based formulations, aligning with circular bioeconomy and green chemistry principles. At low concentrations (31.25 µg/mL), napyradiomycin-based coatings demonstrated effective macrofouling prevention with no detectable toxicity, while higher concentrations (10 mg/mL) rivaled conventional coatings in efficacy and induced lethality. Uniquely, ecotoxicological evaluations using oxidative stress biomarkers, supported by mussels’ survival assays, revealed no significant adverse effects at the lower concentration, showcasing an environmentally friendly profile rarely achieved in antifouling solutions. Despite the promising results, limitations under current static laboratory conditions include no antibiofilm activity and the need for long-term field validation under dynamic marine environments. These challenges, however, offer valuable opportunities for future research in formulation refinement, release profile optimization, and biocide loading thresholds. By combining antimacrofouling efficacy with low ecological impact and scalability potential, these coatings represent a promising advance in marine coating technology, warranting clear path forward for enhancing sustainability in marine industry practices while protecting marine biodiversity.
