Phytofabrication and characterization of ZnO nanoparticles with Anagallis arvensis as promising eco-friendly insecticide against Tribolium castaneum Herbst

Abstract

Tribolium castaneum Herbst (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) is a significant and economically detrimental pest that infests stored grains, particularly wheat, which serves as a staple food for a substantial portion of the Asian population. Environmental and health hazards of available chemical control options coupled with development of resistance against them warrants discovery of more sustainable and environment friendly pest control materials. This study aimed to investigate the physical properties and insecticidal efficacy of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs), fabricated with Anagallis arvensis extracts, against T. castaneum. The synthesized ZnO NPs were characterized using various analytical techniques. The UV–Visible spectrograph exhibited a characteristic peak at 320 nm at room temperature, while Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) was employed to determine the organic constituents in NPs. Following that, the Scanning Electron Microscopy - Energy Dispersive X-ray (SEM-EDX) analyses were conducted to assess the shape, size, and weight of the nanoparticles. Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS) analysis provided information on their surface charge and hydrodynamic diameter. The mortality bioassay demonstrated that ZnO NPs exhibited a significant toxic effect against T. castaneum (p < 0.05), with mortality showing a direct correlation with the concentration and exposure time. The highest dose resulted in a mortality rate of 75 % at the end of the experiment, and the LC50 calculated through Probit-mortality analysis was 105.47 mg/L. Our findings suggest that ZnO NPs loaded with plant extracts hold exciting potential as effective grain protectants.

Keywords

• Anagallis arvensis
• Scarlet Pimpernel
• Green Synthesis
• Sustainable
• Larvicidal potential
• SEM