In Vitro Acaricidal Activity of Silver Nanoparticles (AgNPs) against the Poultry Red Mite (<i>Dermanyssus gallinae</i>)
Georgios Sioutas,
Alexandros Tsouknidas,
Athanasios I. Gelasakis,
Afrodite Vlachou,
Alexandra K. Kaldeli,
Maria Kouki,
Isaia Symeonidou,
Elias Papadopoulos
Affiliations
Georgios Sioutas
Laboratory of Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases, Faculty of Health Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece
Alexandros Tsouknidas
PLiN Nanotechnology S.A., Spectra Business Center 12th km Thessaloniki-Chalkidiki, Thermi, 57001 Thessaloniki, Greece
Athanasios I. Gelasakis
Laboratory of Anatomy and Physiology of Farm Animals, Department of Animal Science, School of Animal Biosciences, Agricultural University of Athens, 11855 Athens, Greece
Afrodite Vlachou
PLiN Nanotechnology S.A., Spectra Business Center 12th km Thessaloniki-Chalkidiki, Thermi, 57001 Thessaloniki, Greece
Alexandra K. Kaldeli
PLiN Nanotechnology S.A., Spectra Business Center 12th km Thessaloniki-Chalkidiki, Thermi, 57001 Thessaloniki, Greece
Maria Kouki
PLiN Nanotechnology S.A., Spectra Business Center 12th km Thessaloniki-Chalkidiki, Thermi, 57001 Thessaloniki, Greece
Isaia Symeonidou
Laboratory of Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases, Faculty of Health Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece
Elias Papadopoulos
Laboratory of Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases, Faculty of Health Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece
Dermanyssus gallinae (PRM) is the most common blood-sucking ectoparasite in laying hens and is resistant against numerous acaricides. Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) represent an innovative solution against PRM. The current study aimed to assess the in vitro acaricidal activity of AgNPs against PRM and describe their potential mechanism of action. Nanoparticles were produced using a wet chemistry approach. Mites were collected using AviVet traps from 18 poultry farms in Greece. Contact toxicity bioassays were carried out for 24 h with negative controls, 20, 40, 60, or 80 ppm AgNPs. Analysis of variance was used to compare the mortality rates of PRM between the control and treatment groups, while LC50, LC90, and LC99 values were estimated using probit regression analysis for the total farms jointly and separately. Nanoparticles displayed strong acaricidal activity, and mortality rates were significantly different between groups and increased by AgNPs concentration. Overall mean LC50, LC90, and LC99 values were 26.5, 58.8, and 112.3 ppm, respectively. Scanning electron microscopy on mites treated with 80 ppm AgNPs revealed cracks in their exoskeleton and limb detachments, presumably resulting from the interaction between AgNPs and the mites’ chitin. Future studies should focus on assessing AgNPs residues in chicken tissues before moving into field trials.
