Aedes aegypti is the major vector of 1 of the most concerning arboviruses of the world, the dengue fever. The only effective way of reducing the incidence of dengue fever is to control the vector mosquito, mainly by application of insecticides to its breeding places. This study was aimed at assessing the insecticidal activity of sodium anacardate, isolated from Brazilian cashew nut shell liquid (CNSL), against the eggs, 3rd instars or pupae of Ae. aegypti. In addition, the acute toxicity of sodium anacardate to mice was also investigated. Sodium anacardate showed toxicity against Ae. aegypti eggs (median effective concentration [EC50] = 162.93 +/- 29.93 microg/ml), larvae (median lethal concentration [LC50] = 55.47 +/- 3.0 microg/ml) and pupae (LC50 = 369.78 - 52.30 microg/ml). On the other hand, even at high dose (0.3 g/kg body weight), this compound did not cause any adverse effects on mice, suggesting that this compound is safe to mammals. Therefore, sodium anacardate may be a viable low-cost alternative to help combat Ae. aegypti.