Nanoformulations with synthetic and plant-derived compounds for cattle tick control.

Nanocarriers of acaricidal compounds improve the bioavailability, absorption, and tissue distribution of active ingredients, releasing them in a slow, targeted way and protecting them against premature degradation. Thus, this study aimed to develop formulations from solid lipid nanoparticles (SLN), or nanostructured lipid carriers (NLC) associated with cypermethrin (cip) + chlorpyrifos (chlo) and vegetable compounds (citral, menthol, or limonene). Particles were then characterised, and their efficacy was verified on R. microplus in comparison to nanoformulations without the plant-based compounds. Six different formulations were developed and characterised by dynamic light scattering (DLS) and nanoparticle tracking analysis (NTA). Formulations 1 (SLN+cyp+chlo+citral), 2 (SLN+cyp+chlo+menthol), 3 (SLN+cyp+chlo+limonene), 4 (NLC+cyp+chlo+citral), 5 (NLC+cyp+chlo+menthol) and 6 (NLC+cyp+chlo+limonene) had mean diameters from 286 to 304 nm; polydispersion from 0.16 to 0.18; zeta potential from -15.8 to -20 mV, concentration from 3.37 ± 0.24 × 1013 to 5.44 ± 0.18 × 1013 particles/mL and encapsulation efficiency (EE) > 98.01 % for all active ingredients. All formulations were evaluated for their acaricidal potential by the larval packet test (LPT) and compared with nanoformulations without the plant-based compounds. Formulations were also compared with positive (Colosso® at 512 µg/mL) and negative controls (distilled water and nanoparticles without active ingredients). The SLN (1, 2 and 3) and NLC (4, 5 and 6) formulations, at 7 µg/mL, resulted in 90.4 % , 75.9 % , 93.8 % , 100 % , 95.1 % and 72.7 % mortality. The data demonstrated that the addition of citral, menthol or limonene in the formulations improved their acaricide action against tick larvae. Except for formulation 4, for which it was not possible to determine lethal concentrations (LC). Formulations, 1, 2, 3, 5 and 6 reached LC50 and LC90 values of 3.3 and 7.2, 5.4 and 9.2, 4.0 and 8.1, 2.3 and 5.4 as well as 5.5 and 9.4 µg/mL, respectively. It was possible to encapsulate the active ingredients and characterise the lipid carrier systems. SLN and NLC protected the active ingredients against degradation in solution and increased the overall stability. A stabile solution is necessary for synthesizing commercial acaricidal products. It is hoped that these findings may contribute to new studies focused on the use of nanocarriers in tick formulations. By reducing the amount or concentration of active ingredients within commercial products, the risk of residues presents in food of animal origin or remaining in the environment is reduced. Nanocarriers help prevent these challenges, while still maintaining effective parasitic control. Utilizing a combination of natural and synthetic products can be part of integrated management solutions and can help overcome widespread acaricide resistance in populations of cattle ticks.

Synthesis and Characterization of ß-Cyclodextrin-Essential Oil Inclusion Complexes for Tick Repellent Development.

Essential oils (EOs) are used in several pest management applications. Due to their volatility, EOs may experience bioactivity reduction, thus requiring protection to extend their properties. In the present study, we investigated the inclusion complex formation (IC) of ß-cyclodextrin (ß-CD) with selected EOs with known tick repellent activity using two co-precipitation methods. ICs were characterized by evaluating EO mass concentration and inclusion efficiency (% IE) and other instrumental methods. Co-precipitation method 2 yielded the highest EO mass concentration (88 ± 6 µg/mg ß-CD) for the 1:1 molar ratio geranium Egyptian EO IC. The EO volatile release over time from the ICs was investigated by headspace SPME/GC-MS analysis. ICs were also tested in tick repellency bioassays. ICs reported significant tick repellent activity, with lemongrass IC performing best overall. Method 1 showed the best combination of high mass concentration EO, controlled volatile release, and tick repellency with lemongrass EO. The results demonstrated that ß-CD had selectively encapsulated different EOs. Moreover, the formation of ICs may improve EO tick repellent properties protecting the active ingredients and providing a better, long-lasting repellent action. These findings will allow the development of more effective naturally derived repellent products to protect individuals from tick bites and prevent tick-borne illnesses.