Pesticides and fertilizers are widely used to enhance agriculture yields, although the fraction of the pesticides applied in the field that reaches the targets is less than 0.1%. Such indiscriminate ...use of chemical pesticides is disadvantageous due to the cost implications and increasing human health and environmental concerns. In recent years, the utilization of nanotechnology to create novel formulations has shown great potential for diminishing the indiscriminate use of pesticides and providing environmentally safer alternatives. Smart nano-based pesticides are designed to efficiently delivery sufficient amounts of active ingredients in response to biotic and/or abiotic stressors that act as triggers, employing targeted and controlled release mechanisms. This review discusses the current status of stimuli-responsive release systems with potential to be used in agriculture, highlighting the challenges and drawbacks that need to be overcome in order to accelerate the global commercialization of smart nanopesticides.
This review article discusses the use of nanotechnology in combination with botanical insecticides in order to develop systems for pest control in agriculture. The main types of botanical ...insecticides are described, together with different carrier systems and their potential uses. The botanical insecticides include those based on active principles isolated from plant extracts, as well as essential oils derived from certain plants. The advantages offered by the systems are highlighted, together with the main technological challenges that must be resolved prior to future implementation of the systems for agricultural pest control. The use of botanical insecticides associated with nanotechnology offers considerable potential for increasing agricultural productivity, while at the same time reducing impacts on the environment and human health.
•Overview of the available botanical insecticides associated with nanotechnology•Description of main class of botanical insecticides and their applications•Novelty aspects in use of these systems in agrochemical applications
The nanoencapsulation of botanical compounds (such as geraniol) is an important strategy that can be used to increase the stability and efficiency of these substances in integrated pest management. ...In this study, chitosan/gum arabic nanoparticles containing geraniol were prepared and characterized. In addition, evaluation was made of the biological activity of geraniol encapsulated in chitosan/gum arabic nanoparticles toward whitefly (Bemisia tabaci). The optimized formulation showed a high encapsulation efficiency (>90%) and remained stable for about 120 days. The formulation protected the geraniol against degradation by UV radiation, and the in vitro release was according to a diffusion mechanism that was influenced by temperature. An attraction effect was observed for Bemisia tabaci, indicating the potential of this type of system for use in pest management, especially in trap devices.
Polysaccharides as safer release systems for agrochemicals Campos, Estefânia Vangelie Ramos; de Oliveira, Jhones Luiz; Fraceto, Leonardo Fernandes ...
Agronomy for sustainable development,
01/2015, Letnik:
35, Številka:
1
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
Agrochemicals are used to improve the production of crops. Conventional formulations of agrochemicals can contaminate the environment, in particular in the case of intensive cropping. Hence, there is ...a need for controlled-release formulations of agrochemicals such as polysaccharides to reduce pollution and health hazards. Natural polysaccharides are hydrophilic, biodegradable polymers. This article reviews the use of polysaccharides in the form of micro- and nanoparticles, beads and hydrogels. The main points are: (1) slow release formulations minimize environmental impact by reducing agrochemical leaching, volatilization and degradation. For example, 50 % of the encapsulated insecticide chlorpyrifos is released in 5 days, whereas free chlorpyrifos is released in 1 day. (2) Slow release formulations increase the water-holding capacity of soil. (3) Slow release formulations better control weeds in the long run. (4) Polymer-clay formulations store ionic plant nutrients. (5) Polymer hydrogel formulations reduce compaction, erosion, and water run-off. They increase soil permeability and aeration, infiltration rates, and microbial activity, and, in turn, plant performance. In conclusion, polysaccharide formulations can be used for safer use of agrochemicals.
Solid lipid nanoparticles (SLN) containing the herbicides atrazine and simazine were prepared and characterized, and in vitro evaluation was made of the release kinetics, herbicidal activity, and ...cytotoxicity. The stability of the nanoparticles was investigated over a period of 120 days, via analyses of particle size, ζ potential, polydispersion, pH, and encapsulation efficiency. SLN showed good physicochemical stability and high encapsulation efficiencies. Release kinetics tests showed that use of SLN modified the release profiles of the herbicides in water. Herbicidal activity assays performed with pre- and postemergence treatment of the target species Raphanus raphanistrum showed the effectiveness of the formulations of nanoparticles containing herbicides. Assays with nontarget organisms (Zea mays) showed that the formulations did not affect plant growth. The results of cytotoxicity assays indicated that the presence of SLN acted to reduce the toxicity of the herbicides. The new nanoparticle formulations enable the use of smaller quantities of herbicide and therefore offer a more environmentally friendly method of controlling weeds in agriculture.
Nanomedicine and nano delivery systems are a relatively new but rapidly developing science where materials in the nanoscale range are employed to serve as means of diagnostic tools or to deliver ...therapeutic agents to specific targeted sites in a controlled manner. Nanotechnology offers multiple benefits in treating chronic human diseases by site-specific, and target-oriented delivery of precise medicines. Recently, there are a number of outstanding applications of the nanomedicine (chemotherapeutic agents, biological agents, immunotherapeutic agents etc.) in the treatment of various diseases. The current review, presents an updated summary of recent advances in the field of nanomedicines and nano based drug delivery systems through comprehensive scrutiny of the discovery and application of nanomaterials in improving both the efficacy of novel and old drugs (e.g., natural products) and selective diagnosis through disease marker molecules. The opportunities and challenges of nanomedicines in drug delivery from synthetic/natural sources to their clinical applications are also discussed. In addition, we have included information regarding the trends and perspectives in nanomedicine area.
Atrazine is one of the most used herbicides and has been associated with persistent surface and groundwater contamination, and novel formulations derived from nanotechnology can be a potential ...solution. We used poly(ε-caprolactone) nanoencapsulation of atrazine (NC+ATZ) to develop a highly effective herbicidal formulation. Detailed structural study of interaction between the formulation and Brassica juncea plants was carried out with evaluation of the foliar uptake of nanoatrazine and structural alterations induced in the leaves. Following postemergent treatment, NC+ATZ adhered to the leaf and penetrated mesophyll tissue mainly through the hydathode regions. NC+ATZ was transported directly through the vascular tissue of the leaves and into the cells where it degraded the chloroplasts resulting in herbicidal activity. Nanocarrier systems, such as the one used in this study, have great potential for agricultural applications in terms of maintenance of herbicidal activity at low concentrations and a substantial increase in the herbicidal efficacy.
•Chitosan/TPP nanoparticles present potential to agriculture application.•Humic substances affected the dynamic equilibrium of the herbicide in the medium.•Humic substance influenced the toxicity of ...paraquat associated with the NPs.
Polymeric nanoparticles have been developed for several applications, among them as carrier system of pesticides. However, few studies have investigated the fate of these materials in the environment in relation to colloidal stability and toxicity. In nature, humic substances are the main agents responsible for complexation with metals and organic compounds, as well as responsible for the dynamics of these nanoparticles in aquatic and terrestrial environments. In this context, the evaluation of the influence of aquatic humic substances (AHS) on the colloidal stability and toxicity of polymeric nanoparticles of chitosan/tripolyphosphate with or without paraquat was performed. In this study, the nanoparticles were prepared by the ionic gelation method and characterized by size distribution measurements (DLS and NTA), zeta potential, infrared and fluorescence spectroscopy. Allium cepa genotoxicity studies and ecotoxicity assays with the alga Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata were used to investigate the effect of aquatic humic substances (AHS) on the toxicity of this delivery system. No changes were observed in the physical–chemical stability of the nanoparticles due to the presence of AHS using DLS and NTA techniques. However some evidence of interaction between the nanoparticles and AHS was observed by infrared and fluorescence spectroscopies. The ecotoxicity and genotoxicity assays showed that humic substances can decrease the toxic effects of nanoparticles containing paraquat. These results are interesting because they are important for understanding the interaction of these nanostructured carrier systems with species present in aquatic ecosystems such as humic substances, and in this way, opening new perspectives for studies on the dynamics of these carrier systems in the ecosystem.
In recent years, the use of substances of natural origin, such as botanical pesticides, has emerged as a preferred alternative to the use of synthetic pesticides, the excessive use of which has ...raised a lot of concern over safety to human/animal health and the environment. Recent developments in nanotechnology have opened up a new avenue for the development of more efficient formulations that can overcome many of the obstacles generally faced in their use in the field, such as loss of activity because of degradation, instability, volatilization, and so on. This Review discusses the key developments in this area, as well as the challenges in relation to nanoscale formulation of botanical pesticides. It presents an appraisal of the recent scientific research, along with an account of the products that have already reached the market. While it acknowledges the great potential of nanotechnology-derived formulations of botanical pesticides for increasing agricultural productivity and reducing health and the environmental impacts, it also highlights the technological challenges that must be addressed to enable adoption of the technology for wider use in agri-food production.
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