Development of labelled nanopesticides aiming studies of mechanism of action and toxicity

• Grant number: 18/23608-8
• Support type: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctorate
• Effective date (Start): February 01, 2019
• Effective date (End): January 31, 2021
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Biochemistry
• Principal Investigator: Leonardo Fernandes Fraceto
• Grantee: Lucas Bragança de Carvalho
• Home Institution: Instituto de Ciência e Tecnologia. Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Sorocaba. Sorocaba , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 17/21004-5 - Agriculture, micro/nanotechnology and environment: from evaluation of the mechanisms of action to studies of transport and toxicity, AP.TEM

Abstract

Nanopesticides today represent an emerging technology that is well studied because of its potential benefits. Most nanopesticides are more effective, and degrade more slowly when applied in the environment. In this way, there is a decrease in the general consumption of these compounds, making them more profitable, resulting in stability of crop yield and food safety. In addition, it is worth mentioning that the use of nanopesticides can consequently generate secondary benefits, such as reducing investments in pesticide production as well as reducing environmental pollution. Although many benefits are associated with these systems, the risks associated with pesticides at the nanometer scale are complex, still poorly studied and not fully understood. It is already known that the transport and destination of the nanopesticides presents different when compared to the conventional pesticides. In this sense, the proposal of this project involves the development of different types of nanoparticles composed of synthetic and / or natural polymers for the transport of atrazine. In addition, these nanoparticles will be labeled using different strategies, using fluorescent dyes/probes and hybrid systems with encapsulated gold nanoparticles to enable tracking of these systems in different matrices. The proposal will be divided into three main stages, the first being the functionalization of zein and chitosan with fluorescein isotiocyanate or rhodamy, in the second step will be prepared nanoparticles with this natural polymers marked and development of probe-labeled poly (µ-caprolactone) nanoparticles fluorescers and gold nanoparticles and in the third stage the toxicity of these nanoparticles in vitro will be analyzed through cell and in vivo viability assays by evaluating the development of atrazine and non-target species of corn and mustard plants, respectively. (AU)