EFFECTS OF LARREA NITIDA EXTRACT NANODISPERSIONS ON THE INHIBITION OF PATHOGENS IN AGRICULTURE

FELIPE ROCHA; LAURA SVETAZ; MAXIMILIANO SORTINO ; RODRIGO J. NUNES CALUMBY; VALERIA A. CAMPOS BERMUDEZ; SEBASTIÁN P. RIUS

Congreso; 2nd International Congress on nano and Biotechnology (ICNB2); 2023

Larrea nitida is a plant native to Argentina and the methanolic extract of its aerial parts contains some antimicrobial agents that can be used to inhibit pathogens in agriculture. However, the extract is hydrophobic, which affects its fungicidal activity in aqueous media. In this context, Larrea nitida extract nanodispersions were produced with polyethylene glycol (PLE) and with polyethylene glycol and zinc oxide (PZLE) to increase their solubility in aqueous media. As a negative control, nanodispersions containing only PEG and zinc oxide without the addition of the extract were produced. The fungicidal activity of the nanodispersions was evaluated at a final concentration of 0.037 - 0.111 g.mL-1 in water. To further assess the fungicidal activity of Larrea nitida nanodispersions, this property was also evaluated for the pristine extract diluted in water. The characterization of the nanodispersions showed that the particles were successfully produced with a nanometric size for PZ and PZLE nanodispersions. PZLE nanodispersions significantly inhibited the growth of the pathogens Fusarium oxysporum and Fusarium verticillioides, possibly due to its increased solubility when compared to PLE. In general, PZLE nanodispersions present great potential to be applied as a green biotechnological tool in agriculture.Keywords: antimicrobial agents, solid dispersion, biotechnology