Fabrication of smart stimuli-responsive mesoporous organosilica nano-vehicles for targeted pesticide delivery.

It is highly desirable to construct stimuli-responsive nanocarriers for improving pesticides targeting and preventing the pesticides premature release. In this work, a novel redox and α-amylase dual stimuli-responsive pesticide delivery system was established by bonding functionalized starch with biodegradable disulfide-bond-bridged mesoporous silica nanoparticles which loaded with avermectin (avermectin@MSNs-ss-starch nanoparticles). The results demonstrated that the loading capacity of avermectin@MSNs-ss-starch nanoparticles for avermectin was approximately 9.3 %. The starch attached covalently on the mesoporous silica nanoparticles could protect avermectin from photodegradation and prevent premature release of active ingredient. Meanwhile, the coated starch and disulfide-bridged structure of nanoparticles could be decomposed and consequently release of the avermectin on demand when nanoparticles were metabolized by glutathione and α-amylase in insects. The bioactivity survey confirmed that avermectin@MSNs-ss-starch nanoparticles had a longer duration in controlling Plutella xylostella larvae compared to avermectin emulsifiable concentrate. In consideration of the superior insecticidal activity and free of toxic organic solvent, this target-specific pesticide release system has promising potential in pest management.

Fate of ivermectin in the terrestrial and aquatic environment: mobility, degradation, and toxicity towards Daphnia similis.

Ivermectin (IVM) is a broad-spectrum antiparasitic drug that is regularly employed in veterinary medicine. In this work, the sorption and desorption of IVM in two Brazilian soils (N1-sand and S2-clay) as well as its leaching capacity, dissipation under aerobic conditions, and degradation in aqueous solution by photocatalysis with TiO2 in suspension were evaluated. The kinetic sorption curves of IVM were adjusted to a pseudo-second-order model. The sorption and desorption data were well fitted with the Freundlich isotherms in the log form (r > 0.96). The Freundlich sorption coefficient (K F (ads) ) and the Freundlich desorption coefficient (K F (des) ) were 77.7 and 120 µg(1-1/n) (cm(3))(1/n) g(-1) and 74.5 and 138 µg(1-1/n) (cm(3))(1/n) g(-1), for soils N1 and S2, respectively. A greater leaching capacity of IVM was observed for the sandy soil N1 than for the clay soil S2. Under aerobic conditions, the dissipation (DT50) at 19.3 °C was 15.5 days (soil N1) and 11.5 days (soil S2). Photocatalysis with UVC and TiO2 in suspension resulted in the degradation of 98 % of IVM (500 µg L(-1)) in water in 600 s. The toxicity (Daphnia similis) of the solutions submitted to the photocatalytic process was completely eliminated after 10 min.

Stability Evaluation of Ivermectin-Loaded Biodegradable Microspheres.

A stability study was performed on ivermectin (IVM)-loaded biodegradable microparticles intended for injection in dogs. The rational was to evaluate the performances upon irradiation of a drug, such as IVM, with a few criticalities with respect to its stability, and toxicity. The goal was to provide valuable information for pharmaceutical scientists and manufacturers working in the veterinary area. The microspheres based on poly(D,L-lactide) and poly-(ε-caprolactone) and loaded with IVM and with the addition of alpha-tocopherol (TCP) as antioxidant were prepared by the emulsion solvent evaporation method and sterilized by gamma irradiation. Microsphere characterization in term of size, shape, polymer, and IVM stability upon irradiation was performed. The results show that the type of polymer significantly affects microsphere characteristics and performances. Moreover, suitably stable formulations can be achieved only by TCP addition.

Novel photodegradable insecticide W/TiO(2)/Avermectin nanocomposites obtained by polyelectrolytes assembly.

Stable and even microcrystals of Avermectin (AVM) were produced by recrystallization in presence of a stabilizer. Sequential layer growth was achieved by the layer-by-layer (LbL) self-assembly of biocompatible polyelectrolytes (PEs). The coated colloids were characterized using confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The in vitro release of Avermectin from microcapsules was studied under the simulated insect midgut conditions. W-doped TiO(2) photocatalysts were synthesized by a simple hydrothermal method, and characterized by Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface area measurements and SEM. The photocatalytic activities of photocatalysts, which were undoped with TiO(2) and W-doped TiO(2), were evaluated by the photocatalytic oxidation degradation of AVM microcapsules in aqueous solution under UV illumination. The toxicity of the photodegradable insecticide was evaluated by the adult stage Martianus dermestoides. The results showed that AVM microcrystals which were obtained by association had a mean length of 13.8µm and a zeta potential of -34.7mV. The drug loading and encapsulation efficiency were 65.57±0.96% and 46.15±0.96%, respectively. The in vitro release experiments revealed that the polyelectrolytes prolonged the release time of the encapsulated AVM microcrystals. The sample which was prepared at 120°C with 4.0mol% W-doped amount had the highest photocatalytic activity. Toxicity of the novel photodegradable insecticide was higher in the adult stage compared to the 95% AVM as indicated by the lower LC(50) value.

Study of UV-shielding properties of novel porous hollow silica nanoparticle carriers for avermectin.

The shielding protection given by self-prepared porous hollow silica nanoparticles (PHSN) to pesticides from degradation by UV light was investigated using avermectin as a model pesticide. It was demonstrated that PHSN carriers with a shell thickness of approximately 15 nm and a pore diameter of 4-5 nm have an encapsulation capacity of 625 g kg(-1) for avermectin using a supercritical fluid loading method. PHSN carriers exhibited remarkable UV-shielding properties for avermectin. This was affected by the intensity of UV light, the pH and the temperature of the release medium. Rises in UV intensity, pH and/or temperature reduced the UV protection of PHSN for avermectin. In addition, avermectin loaded into the inner core of the PHSN carriers was released slowly into the release medium for about 30 days following a typical sustained-release pattern. It thus appears that PHSN carriers have a promising future in applications requiring sustained pesticide release.