Toxicity evaluation and biological activity of zein nanoparticles containing the biocide azadirachtin

Abstract

For the pest control, it is necessary to use large amounts of chemicals, which often have adverse effects both for the environment and for human health, which has motivated the search for alternative less impact. Another problem associated with the use of agrochemicals is pests eventually develop resistance to chemicals, making them ineffective for the control of agricultural pests. In this scenario, several mechanisms have been studied to minimize this damage, such as the development of carrier systems using biodegradable polymers and proteins. Added to this, the use of botanical insecticides has also demonstrated potential for combating pests, due to lower impacts of these natural products. Therefore, the present doctoral project aims evaluate the possible toxicity mechanisms of zein nanoparticles containing azadirachtin, and to evaluate the potential biological activity of these. For this, three cell lines will be used for citotoxic analysis which include cell membrane damage tests, metabolic and structural organelles changes tests. Also phytotoxicity will be evaluated using physiological analysis of gas exchange, photosynthesis and oxidative stress in plants. Another aspect to be evaluated is the possible impact of the formulations on soil bacteria using molecular biology. Studies will be conducted to evaluate the interaction of these nanoparticles with soil organism C. elegans (nematode) to obtain information about the potential toxicity of terrestrial organism. Finally, tests on target organism will be carried out, Callosobruchus maculatus, for get data about the potential use of this system in pest control in agriculture. The importance of this project lies in the dimension that the agricultural sector accounts for Brazilian and world economy, combined with that of the crop protection market is growing annually, with Brazil being one of the leaders in the consumption of these products. Thus, the development of technology with high added value to the pest control area in agriculture is promising as more efficient systems can be produced in pest control, with less active, less impacting the environment and consequently to human health.