Neem oil based nanopesticide as an environmentally-friendly formulation for applications in sustainable agriculture: An ecotoxicological perspective

Author(s)

Pascoli, Monica ^[1] ; Jacques, Mauricio T. ^[2] ; Agarrayua, Danielle A. ^[2] ; Avila, Daiana S. ^[2] ; Lima, Renata ^[3] ; Fraceto, Leonardo F. ^[1]

Affiliation

^[1] Sao Paulo State Univ UNESP, Inst Sci & Technol Sorocaba, Lab Environm Nanotechnol, Av 3 Marco, 511, BR-18087180 Sorocaba, SP - Brazil

^[2] Fed Univ Pampa, Res Grp Biochem & Toxicol Caenorhabditis Elegans, BR 472, Km 585, Caixa Postal 118, BR-97501970 Uruguaiana, RS - Brazil

^[3] Univ Sorocaba, Lab Bioact Assessment & Toxicol Nanomat, Rodovia Raposo Tavares, Km 92-5, BR-18023000 Sorocaba, SP - Brazil

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: Science of The Total Environment; v. 677, p. 57-67, AUG 10 2019.
• Web of Science Citations: 3

Abstract

Sustainable agriculture encourages practices that present low risks to the environment and human health. To this end, zein (corn protein) can be used to develop nanocanier systems capable of improving the physicochemical properties of biopesticides, reducing their possible toxicity. Neem oil extracted from the Azadiraclua indica tree contains many active ingredients including azadirachtin, which is the active ingredient in multiple commercially available biopesticides. In this study, we describe the preparation and characterization of neem oil-loaded zein nanoparticles, together with evaluation of their toxicity towards nontarget organisms, using Allium cepa, soil nitrogen cycle microbiota, and Caenorhabditis elegans aiming to achieve the safer by design strategy. the spherical nanoparticles showed an average diameter of 278 +/- 61.5 nm and a good stability during the experiments. In the toxicity assays with A. cepa, the neem oil-loaded zein nanoparticles mitigated the increase in the DNA relative damage index caused by the neem oil. Molecular genetic analysis of the soil nitrogen cycle microbiota revealed that neem oilloaded zein nanoparticles did not change the number of genes which encode nitrogen-fixing enzymes and denitrifying enzymes. In C. elegans, the neem oil-loaded win nanoparticles had no toxic effect, while neem oil interfered with pharyngeal pumping and GST-4 protein expression. These neem oil-loaded zein nanoparticles showed promising results in the toxicity studies, opening perspectives for its use in crop protection in organic agriculture. (C) 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 15/17120-4 - Toxicity evaluation and biological activity of zein nanoparticles containing the biocide azadirachtin
• Grantee: Mônica Pascoli
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• FAPESP's process: 17/21004-5 - Agriculture, micro/nanotechnology and environment: from evaluation of the mechanisms of action to studies of transport and toxicity
• Grantee: Leonardo Fernandes Fraceto
• Support Opportunities: Research Projects - Thematic Grants