Pimpinella anisum essential oil nanoemulsions against Tribolium castaneum-insecticidal activity and mode of action.

Pimpinella anisum essential oil nanoemulsions against Tribolium castaneum-insecticidal activity and mode of action. Environ Sci Pollut Res Int. 2018 Apr 30;: Authors: Hashem AS, Awadalla SS, Zayed GM, Maggi F, Benelli G Abstract The red flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum Herbst (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae), is an economically important pest of stored products. As possible alternative to conventional insecticides for its management, plant essential oils have gained interest owing to their effectiveness and eco-friendly features. However, they also show some drawbacks, such as low stability, poor water solubility and diffusion, and limited persistence in the environment. A good strategy to overcome these disadvantages is represented by green nanotechnologies. Herein, we developed a nanoemulsion based on the essential oil from Pimpinella anisum L. (Apiaceae) containing 81.2% of (E)-anethole and evaluated its toxicity on T. castaneum adults and F1 progeny, as well as its morphological and histological impact. The aniseed oil nanoemulsion was characterized by the formation of a semi-solid interphase between oil and water; mean drop size was 198.9 nm, PDI was 0.303, zeta potential was - 25.4 ± 4.47 mV, and conductivity was 0.029 mS/cm. The nanoemulsion showed toxicity on T. castaneum (LC50 = 9.3% v/v), with a significant impact on its progeny. Morphological and histological damages triggered by feeding and exposure to the anise...
Source: Environmental Science and Pollution Research International - Category: Environmental Health Authors: Tags: Environ Sci Pollut Res Int Source Type: research