Tebuconazole-Loaded Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles Encapsulated with Chitosan and Their Application in Wheat Growth

Abstract

Controlled-release pesticide formulation exhibiting low phytotoxicity and long-term effectiveness is highly promising. In this work, a novel pH stimuli-responsive pesticide delivery system was established by combining spray drying with ion crosslinking to coat chitosan onto tebuconazole-loaded mesoporous silica nanoparticles (Teb@MSNs@CS). The results demonstrated that the loading capacity of Teb@MSNs@CS for tebuconazole (Teb) was approximately 25.80%. The chitosan attached on the mesoporous silica nanoparticles could extend the release time of Teb both in the solution medium and soil column. Meanwhile, the coated chitosan endowed the pH-responsive release of Teb. The bioactivity survey confirmed that Teb@MSNs@CS exhibited enhanced control of Fusarium graminearum compared to pure Teb. Moreover, Teb@MSNs@CS displayed lower phytotoxicity than both Teb@MSNs and pure Teb during wheat germination and seeding growth experiments. As revealed by the above-mentioned results, the use of responsive carriers as the pesticide-delivery systems can be potentially implemented in wheat growth.

Silica-Based Nanodelivery Systems Loaded with Matrine for the Brown Planthopper Green Control and Rice Growth Promotion

“…Currently, mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) as nanocarriers have been commonly employed in several fields, such as molecular loading, including nucleation, proteins, due to their surface modifiability, large surface area, large pore volumes, and stability. , Generally, the bare MSNs cause premature release of pesticides due to a large number of exposed pores, which greatly reduces the pesticide delivery efficiency . To overcome this drawback, the development of MSNs based on encapsulation strategies might prevent the premature release of active ingredient pesticides in MSNs . It has shown that chitosan, a natural polymer with good biodegradable and environmentally friendly characteristics, can be used as a gatekeeper for encapsulating MSNs. , Specifically, the active pesticide ingredient is first loaded into the pores of MSNs, and then encapsulants (e.g., chitosan) are used to seal the pores of MSNs to improve the stability and controlled release of the active pesticide ingredient …”