Bio-Pesticidal Potential of Nanostructured Lipid Carriers Loaded with Thyme and Rosemary Essential Oils against Common Ornamental Flower Pests

• Published in: Colloids and interfaces 2024-10, Vol.8 (5), p.55
• Main Authors: Múnera-Echeverri, Alejandro, Múnera-Echeverri, José Luis, Segura-Sánchez, Freimar
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Agricultural chemicals; Agrochemicals; Arthropods; biopesticide; Biopesticides; Cosmetics; Electric contacts; Electron microscopes; Encapsulation; Essential oils; Factorial design; Flowers; Flowers & plants; Gas chromatography; high shear homogenization; Homogenization; Instrument industry; Lipids; Mass spectrometry; Nanoparticles; Nanostructure; nanostructured lipid carrier; Oils & fats; Particle size; Particle size distribution; Pest control; Pesticides; Pests; Pharmaceutical industry; Polydispersity; Scanning electron microscopy; Surface active agents; Surfactants; Thyme; Thymol; Toxicity; Zeta potential
• ISSN: 2504-5377; 2504-5377
• DOI: 10.3390/colloids8050055

The encapsulation of essential oils (EOs) in nanostructured lipid carriers (NLCs) represents a modern and sustainable approach within the agrochemical industry. This research evaluated the colloidal properties and insecticidal activity of NLCs loaded with thyme essential oil (TEO-NLC) and rosemary essential oil (REO-NLC) against three common arthropod pests of ornamental flowers: Frankliniella occidentalis, Myzus persicae, and Tetranychus urticae. Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis identified the major chemical constituents of the EOs, with TEO exhibiting a thymol chemotype and REO exhibiting an α-pinene chemotype. NLCs were prepared using various homogenization techniques, with high shear homogenization (HSH) providing the optimal particle size, size distribution, and surface electrical charge. A factorial design was employed to evaluate the effects of EO concentration, surfactant concentration, and liquid lipid/solid lipid ratio on the physicochemical properties of the nanosuspensions. The final TEO-NLC formulation had a particle size of 347.8 nm, a polydispersity index of 0.182, a zeta potential of −33.8 mV, an encapsulation efficiency of 71.9%, and a loading capacity of 1.18%. The REO-NLC formulation had a particle size of 288.1 nm, a polydispersity index of 0.188, a zeta potential of −34 mV, an encapsulation efficiency of 80.6%, and a loading capacity of 1.40%. Evaluation of contact toxicity on leaf disks showed that TEO-NLC exhibited moderate insecticidal activity against the western flower thrips and mild acaricidal activity against the two-spotted spider mite, while REO-NLC demonstrated limited effects. These findings indicate that TEO-NLCs show potential as biopesticides for controlling specific pests of ornamental flowers, and further optimization of the administration dosage could significantly enhance their effectiveness.