Biodegradation of insecticide residue by lactic acid bacteria

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Biodegradation of insecticide residue by lactic acid bacteria

Scientific Reports , Article number:  (2026) Cite this article

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Abstract

The persistence of insecticide residues on food crops poses a significant risk to human health and the environment, necessitating effective residue mitigation strategies. This study evaluates the potential of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) strains, Lactobacillus pentosus and Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis, for degrading residues of cyantraniliprole and chlorantraniliprole under laboratory conditions, and further assessed their degradation potential for cyantraniliprole under field conditions. Residue levels were quantified using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry, allowing precise measurement of degradation rates. In minimal broth, both strains reduced cyantraniliprole residues up to 33.07% and chlorantraniliprole residues by up to 23.44% over 12 days, with Lactobacillus pentosus demonstrating a higher degradation efficiency. Nutrient broth significantly enhanced biodegradation efficiency, with both LAB strains removing more than 98% of cyantraniliprole within 4 days and achieving complete degradation by 10th day. Controlled field evaluation demonstrated the practical efficacy of LAB application, where Lactobacillus pentosus and Lactococcus lactis reduced insecticide residues by up to 40.99 and 34.52% respectively, after 8 h of spraying. Overall, these findings highlight the potential of LAB as a natural, eco-friendly solution for mitigating pesticide residues in food commodities, contributing to sustainable agricultural practices.

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Data availability

All data generated or analyzed during this study are included in this published article and its supplementary information files (Tables S1 and S2).

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Acknowledgements

The Researchers are grateful to Pesticide Toxicology Laboratory, Department of Agricultural Entomology, Centre for Plant Protection Studies, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore, India, and All India Network Project on Pesticide Residues and Contaminants, for the facilities provided during this study.

Funding

No funding was received for this research work.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Agricultural Entomology, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore, India

    K. Kiruthika, A. Suganthi, Y. S. Johnson Thangaraj Edward, M. Murugan, Bimal Kumar Sahoo, Mohammad Ikram, J. Kousika & M. Alagar

  2. Department of Agricultural Microbiology, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore, India

    R. Anandham

  3. Department of Plant Pathology, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore, India

    P. Renukadevi

Authors

  1. K. Kiruthika
  2. A. Suganthi
  3. R. Anandham
  4. Y. S. Johnson Thangaraj Edward
  5. P. Renukadevi
  6. M. Murugan
  7. Bimal Kumar Sahoo
  8. Mohammad Ikram
  9. J. Kousika
  10. M. Alagar

Contributions

K.K.—Wrote the main manuscript, conceptualization, data curation, formal analysis, software, methodology, validation; revision; A.S. Reviewed and edited the manuscript, supervision, conceptualization, methodology, revision; R.A, Y.S.J.T.E, P.R, M.M, M.A—Investigation and validation; B.K.S, M.I, J.K- Software and formal analysis—All authors reviewed the manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to A. Suganthi.

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The authors declare no competing interests.

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Kiruthika, K., Suganthi, A., Anandham, R. et al. Biodegradation of insecticide residue by lactic acid bacteria. Sci Rep (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-34844-0

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