New Insights Into Biopesticides: Solid and Liquid Formulations of Essential Oils and Derivatives

Abstract

Essential oils and derivatives have shown effective insecticidal activity against different agricultural pests. However, the use of these bioactive compounds can result in negative effects due to their high volatility and difficult handling. Both solid and liquid formulations of essential oils have been developed in recent years. Currently, there are some commercial products available in the market, but they are still scarce and mainly based on liquid formulations. Solid formulations developed through spray-drying, including complex or micro/nanospheres, present differences in encapsulation efficiency, particle size, and controlled release, depending mainly on the wall material or surfactant content. Spray-dried essential oils have clear advantages over liquid formulations in terms of biological protection and storage. However, liquid formulations are usually easier scaled and applied. This review focuses on the advances of essential oils in both solid and liquid formulations (focusing on nanoemulsions) and derivatives to allow for their proper use in agriculture.

Antibacterial effect of essential oils and their components against Xanthomonas arboricola pv. pruni revealed by microdilution and direct bioautographic assays

“…Furthermore, the nanoemulsion with Thymus daenensis EO, an abundant source of thymol and carvacrol, revealed enhanced antibacterial activity against E. coli compared to the pure EO ( Moghimi et al., 2016 ). In summary, the advanced technology formulation that enables increased stability, efficiency and water solubility could be the key for the widespread application of EOs as antibacterial plant protection agents ( Das et al., 2020 ; López et al., 2021 ; Shankar et al., 2022 ; Singh and Pulikkal, 2022 ).…”

Encapsulation of Eucalyptus largiflorens Essential Oil by Mesoporous Silicates for Effective Control of the Cowpea Weevil, Callosobruchus maculatus (Fabricius) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae)

“…Micro- and nanoencapsulated formulations based on controlled-release techniques have recently been introduced to enhance the persistence and possible application of plant essential oils for pest management [ 54 , 55 , 56 , 57 ]. For example, the toxicity of gelatin-based microencapsulated essential oils of Rosmarinus officinalis L. and Thymus vulgaris L. against the larvae of Indian meal moth, Plodia interpunctella (Hubner), were reported [ 58 ].…”

Harnessing Plant’s Arsenal: Essential Oils as Promising Tools for Sustainable Management of Potato Late Blight Disease Caused by Phytophthora infestans—A Comprehensive Review

“…Finally, many other appropriate ways exist to overcome EO challenges and develop such biopesticides-both in liquid and solid state. In any case, it must be carefully chosen according to the application, the agronomic context, and proper targets in order for them to effectively work [199].…”