Clove oil-loaded zein nanoparticles as potential bioinsecticide agent with low toxicity

Abstract

The demand for the development of environmentally sustainable, low-cost and controlled-release bioinsecticides for crop protection is emerging. To that end, we have developed biodegradable zein nanoparticles (NP) loaded with clove oil (CO) or its major compound eugenol (EU), which have been widely reported by their insecticide activities. However, the safety and efficacy of these newly developed NPs is unknown. To evaluate the environmental safety of these NPs we have used the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, a non-target organism. We observed that EU and CO NPs displayed low toxicity to these worms at all endpoints analyzed. We have evidenced a significative insectide activity of both EU and CO-loaded NPs against Drosophila melanogaster, with a higher potential in comparison to the free essential oils. These results suggest that EU and CO nanoencapsulation using zein as biopolymer is promising for further studies aiming the production of eco-friendly botanical insecticides for crop protection.