Journal of Nanomedicine & Nanotechnology

Polymeric nanoparticles as carrier systems for herbicides

Nanotechnology Congress & Expo

August 11-13, 2015 Frankfurt, Germany

Renato Grillo1, Halley C Oliveira2, Renata Lima3 and Leonardo F Fraceto1

Poster-Accepted Abstracts: J Nanomed Nanotechnol

Abstract:

Herbicides have been used throughout the ages to eradicate weeds. However, the indiscriminate uses of these chemicals cause problems related to their persistence and mobility in the environment, in addition to their various toxic effects on non-target organisms. A viable solution to minimize the toxic effects of agrochemicals is based on the development of nanocarriers systems, such as, polymeric nanoparticles. In this context, poly (epsilon-caprolactone) and chitosan/tripolyphosphate nanoparticles loaded with herbicides (atrazine or paraquat) were developed in order to produce an efficient and less toxic herbicidal formulation. Colloidal stability and physicochemical characterization of these nanoparticles were evaluated. Cytotoxicity and genotoxicity assays showed that the nanoencapsulated herbicide formulations were less toxic than the pure compound and the herbicidal activity showed that the effectiveness of atrazine and paraquat was preserved or increased after encapsulation. As conclusion, the encapsulation of herbicides in nanoparticles can provide a useful means of reducing adverse impacts on human health and the environment, and that the formulation therefore has potential for use in agriculture.