Characterization of <i>Zanthoxylum rhoifolium</i> (Sapindales: Rutaceae) Essential Oil Nanospheres and Insecticidal Effects to <i>Bemisia tabaci</i> (Sternorrhyncha: Aleyrodidae)
Karla de Castro Pereira,
Eliane Dias Quintela,
Vinicius A. do Nascimento,
Daniel José da Silva,
Dannilo V. M. Rocha,
José Francisco A. Silva,
Steven P. Arthurs,
Moacir Rossi Forim,
Fabiano Guimarães Silva,
Cristiane de Melo Cazal
Affiliations
Karla de Castro Pereira
Instituto Federal de Educação, Ciência e Tecnologia Goiano—Campus Rio Verde, Rod. Sul Goiana Km 01, Rio Verde 75901-970, GO, Brazil
Eliane Dias Quintela
Empresa Brasileira de Pesquisa Agropecuária—Embrapa Arroz e Feijão, Rodovia GO-462, Km 12, Fazenda Capivara, Zona Rural, CP 179, Santo Antônio de Goiás 75375-000, GO, Brazil
Vinicius A. do Nascimento
Instituto Federal de Educação, Ciência e Tecnologia Sudeste de Minas Gerais—Campus Barbacena, Rua Monsenhor José Augusto, n 204, Bairro São José, Barbacena 36205-018, MG, Brazil
Daniel José da Silva
Instituto Federal de Educação, Ciência e Tecnologia Sudeste de Minas Gerais—Campus Barbacena, Rua Monsenhor José Augusto, n 204, Bairro São José, Barbacena 36205-018, MG, Brazil
Dannilo V. M. Rocha
Empresa Brasileira de Pesquisa Agropecuária—Embrapa Arroz e Feijão, Rodovia GO-462, Km 12, Fazenda Capivara, Zona Rural, CP 179, Santo Antônio de Goiás 75375-000, GO, Brazil
José Francisco A. Silva
Empresa Brasileira de Pesquisa Agropecuária—Embrapa Arroz e Feijão, Rodovia GO-462, Km 12, Fazenda Capivara, Zona Rural, CP 179, Santo Antônio de Goiás 75375-000, GO, Brazil
Steven P. Arthurs
BioBee USA, Tucker, GA 30084, USA
Moacir Rossi Forim
Department of Chemistry, Federal University of São Carlos, Rod. Washington Luiz, Km 235, CP 676, São Carlos 13565-905, SP, Brazil
Fabiano Guimarães Silva
Instituto Federal de Educação, Ciência e Tecnologia Goiano—Campus Rio Verde, Rod. Sul Goiana Km 01, Rio Verde 75901-970, GO, Brazil
Cristiane de Melo Cazal
Instituto Federal de Educação, Ciência e Tecnologia Sudeste de Minas Gerais—Campus Barbacena, Rua Monsenhor José Augusto, n 204, Bairro São José, Barbacena 36205-018, MG, Brazil
Encapsulation via nanotechnology offers a potential method to overcome limited thermal and photo-stability of botanical pesticides. In this study, nanospheres of essential oils (NSEO) derived from Zanthoxylum rhoifolium Lam. fruit were characterized and evaluated for their photostability and insecticidal activity against Bemisia tabaci. Three major compounds of Z. rhoifolium fruits were detected by CG-MS: β-phellandrene (76.8%), β-myrcene (9.6%), and germacrene D (8.3%). The nanoprecipitation method was used to obtain homogeneous spherical NSEO, with ≥98% encapsulation efficiency. Tests with UV/Vis spectrophotometry showed significantly reduced photodegradation from exposed NSEO samples when compared with essential oil (EO) controls. Whitefly screenhouses bioassays with bean plants treated with 0.25, 0.5, 1 and 1.5% suspensions showed EO treatments in both free and nanoencapsulated forms reduced adult whitefly oviposition by up to 71%. In further tests, applications at 1.5% caused ≥64% mortality of second instar nymphs. When the test was conducted under high temperature and light radiation conditions, the insecticidal effect of NSEO treatments was improved (i.e., 84.3% mortality) when compared to the free form (64.8%). Our results indicate the insecticidal potential of EO-derived from Z. rhoifolium fruits with further formulation as nanospheres providing greater photostability and enhanced insecticidal activity against B. tabaci under adverse environmental conditions.
