Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
active agent once beyond these barriers, are equally important and contribute to the
success of the CR system designed. CR formulations provide advantages over their
counterparts such as prolonged duration of action of an active agent, minimized
adverse reactions or maximized efficacy, with tailor-made properties and higher
stability of the active agents in the formulation.
A considerable number of nanoparticle formulation methods are based on nano-
emulsion templates, which in turn are generated in various ways. It must therefore
be taken into account that active principles and drugs encapsulated in nanoparticles
can potentially be affected by these nanoemulsion formulation processes. Such po-
tential differences may include drug sensitivity to temperature, high-shear devices,
or even contact with organic solvents. Likewise, nanoemulsion formulation pro-
cesses must be chosen in function of the selected therapeutic goals of the nanocarri-
er suspension and its administration route (Gutiérrez et al.
2008
; Solans et al.
2005
).
This requires the nanoparticle formulation processes (and thus the nanoemulsion
formation methods) to be more adapted to the nature of the encapsulated drugs, as
well as to the chosen route of administration.
3 Nanoparticles for the Control of Disease
and Pest Incidences in Plants
Nanoparticles of defined concentrations could be successfully used for the control
of various plant diseases caused by several phytopathogens.
3.1 Silver Nanoparticles [AgNPs] and Nano-Silver-Silica
Composites
Silver nanoparticles have found several applications in the field of medicine as
successful antifungal and antibacterial agents (Panacek et al.
2009
; Singh et al.
2008
). This paved the way for their use as broad-spectrum antimicrobial agents in
controlling various phytopathogens causing fungal and bacterial diseases in plants.
AgNPs were found to be highly effective against sclerotium forming fungal phyto-
pathogens such as
Rhizoctonia solani, Sclerotinia sclerotiorum
and
S. minor
caus-
ing several diseases in a wide range of host plants resulting in severe economic
losses. AgNPs with large surface area could increase their contact and permeability
with microbes, thus arresting fungal growth and sclerotial germination even with
low concentrations of nanoparticles. The effectiveness of nanoparticles could be
enhanced by applying them well before the penetration and colonization of fungal
spores in plant tissues (Jo and Kim
2009
). Antifungal activities of AgNPs were also
investigated against ascomycetous fungus
Raffaelea sp
. causing oak wilt disease
(Kim et al.
2009
). Fungal hyphal growth and conidial germination significantly
