Nanostructured Liquid Crystalline Particles As an Alternative Delivery Vehicle for Plant Agrochemicals

• Published in: ACS applied materials & interfaces Vol. 5; no. 5; pp. 1818 - 1826
• Main Authors: Nadiminti, Pavani P, Dong, Yao D, Sayer, Chad, Hay, Phillip, Rookes, James E, Boyd, Ben J, Cahill, David M
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States American Chemical Society 13.03.2013
• Subjects: Agrochemicals - chemistry; Agrochemicals - pharmacology; Arabidopsis - drug effects; Chemistry, Pharmaceutical; Drug Delivery Systems - instrumentation; Drug Delivery Systems - methods; Liquid Crystals - chemistry; Lupinus - drug effects; Nanostructures - chemistry; Plant Leaves - drug effects; Triticum - drug effects; Zea mays - drug effects; cuticular waxes; surfactants; cubosomes; image analysis
• ISSN: 1944-8244; 1944-8252
• DOI: 10.1021/am303208t

Agrochemical spray formulations applied to plants are often mixed with surfactants that facilitate delivery of the active ingredient. However, surfactants cause phytotoxicity and off-target effects in the environment. We propose the use of nanostructured liquid crystalline particles (NLCP) as an alternative to surfactant-based agrochemical delivery. For this, we have compared the application of commercial surfactants, di (2-ethylhexyl) sulfosuccinate and alkyl dimethyl betaine, with NLCP made from phytantriol, at concentrations of 0.1%, 1% and 5% on the adaxial surface of leaves of four plant species Ttriticum aestivum (wheat), Zea mays (maize), Lupinus angustifolius (lupin), and Arabidopsis thaliana. In comparison with the application of surfactants there was less phytotoxicity on leaves of each species following treatment with NLCP. Following treatment of leaves with NLCP analysis of cuticular wax micromorphology revealed less wax solubilization in the monocot species. The results clearly show that there are advantages in the use of NLCP rather than surfactants for agrochemical delivery.