Declines in crop yield due to pests and diseases require the development of safe, green and eco-friendly pesticide formulations. A major problem faced by the agricultural industry is the use of conventional agrochemicals that contribute broad-spectrum effects towards the environment and organisms. As a result of this issue, researchers are currently developing various pesticide formulations using different nanotechnology approaches. The progress and opportunities in developing nanoemulsions as carriers for plant protection or nanodelivery systems for agrochemicals in agricultural practice have been the subject of intense research. New unique chemical and biologic properties have resulted in a promising pesticide nanoformulations for crop protection. These innovations-particularly the nanoemulsion-based agrochemicals-are capable of enhancing the solubility of active ingredients, improving agrochemical bioavailability, and improving stability and wettability properties during the application, thus resulting in better efficacy for pest control and treatment. All of these-together with various preparation methods towards a greener and environmentally friendly agrochemicals-are also discussed and summarized in this review.
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) can result in peptic ulcer disease (PUD) which is a common condition worldwide. The aim of this study was to evaluate the antiulcer properties of (1-(4-hydroxy-phenyl)-3-m-tolyl-propenone) (HPTP) chalcone in rats using indomethacin as ulcerogenic agent.
Reports on fungicide-based agronanochemicals in combating disastrous basal stem rot disease in the oil palm industry are scant. Herein, we describe the potential of fungicide nanodelivery agents based on hexaconazole-micelle systems produced using three different surfactants; sodium dodecylbenze sulfonate (SDBS), sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and Tween 80 (T80). The resulting nanodelivery systems were characterized and the results supported the encapsulation of the fungicide into the micelles of the surfactants. We have investigated in detail the size-dependent effects of the as-synthesized micelles towards the inhibition growth of Ganoderma Boninense fungi. All the nanodelivery systems indicate that their size decreased as the surfactant concentration was increased, and it directly affects the fungal inhibition. It was also found that Tween 80, a non-ionic surfactant gave the lowest effective concentration, the EC50 value of 2, on the pathogenic fungus Ganoderma boninense compared to the other anionic surfactants; SDBS and SDS. This study opens up a new generation of agronanofungicide of better efficacy for Ganoderma disease treatment.
A fungicide, hexaconazole was successfully intercalated into the intergalleries of zinc/aluminum-layered double hydroxide (ZALDH) using the ion-exchange method. Due to the intercalation of hexaconazole, the basal spacing of the ZALDH was increased from 8.7 Å in ZALDH to 29.4 Å in hexaconazole-intercalated ZALDH (HZALDH). The intercalation of hexaconazole into the interlayer of the nanocomposite was confirmed using the Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) study. This supramolecular chemistry intercalation process enhanced the thermal stability of the hexaconazole moiety. The fungicide loading was estimated to be 51.8%. The nanodelivery system also shows better inhibition toward the Ganoderma boninense growth than the counterpart, free hexaconazole. The results from this work have a great potential to be further explored for combating basal stem rot (BSR) disease in oil palm plantation.