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Dynamic adsorption of α-pinene and linalool on silica nanoparticles for enhanced antifeedant activity against agricultural pests

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Abstract

The terpene compounds, α-pinene and linalool were formulated with silica nanoparticles (SNPs) by a simple immersion method and the antifeedant activity of these formulations was evaluated against two major agricultural pests, the tobacco cutworm (Spodoptera litura F.) and the castor semilooper (Achaea janata L.) in laboratory bioassays. The interaction between terpenes and SNPs, shelf-life, suspension stability as well as the bioactivity of the nanoformulations were also studied. Both these terpenes in their pure form are known to deter feeding in several lepidopterous insects. However, formulating these pure terpene compounds with nano silica enhanced their biological activity up to 25 times to S. litura. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy analysis of these nano botanical formulations indicated the presence of hydrogen bonding between terpenes and the surface of SNPs. Transmission electron microscopy images confirmed the higher aggregation property of the SNPs. Suspension studies validated the improved shelf-life of the nano-biocomposites, while X-ray diffraction (XRD) revealed the amorphous nature of formulations and no crystalline impurities. Adsorption of α-pinene and linalool onto SNPs resulted in an effective formulation that enhanced the antifeedant potential of the individual terpenes against insects while producing longer shelf-life for the terpenes.

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Abbreviations

HPLC:

High pressure liquid chromatography

SNPs:

Silica nanoparticles

APSI:

α-Pinene adsorbed silica nanoparticles

RH:

Relative humidity

LLSI:

Linalool adsorbed silica nanoparticles

FTIR:

Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy

TEM:

Transmission electron microscope

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Acknowledgments

The authors are grateful to the Ministry of Environment and Forest for funding and to Dr. J. S. Yadav, Director, Indian Institute of Chemical Technology for the facilities. One of the authors, J M, thanks Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) Government of India, for the research fellowship during his PhD studies.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Biology and Biotechnology Division, CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Technology Tarnaka, Hyderabad, 500 007, Andhra Pradesh, India

    Pathipati Usha Rani & Joish Madhusudhanamurthy

  2. Inorganic and Physical Chemistry Laboratory, CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Technology, Tarnaka, Hyderabad, 500 007, Andhra Pradesh, India

    Bojja Sreedhar

Authors
  1. Pathipati Usha Rani
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  2. Joish Madhusudhanamurthy
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  3. Bojja Sreedhar
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Correspondence to Pathipati Usha Rani.

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Communicated by M.B. Isman.

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Usha Rani, P., Madhusudhanamurthy, J. & Sreedhar, B. Dynamic adsorption of α-pinene and linalool on silica nanoparticles for enhanced antifeedant activity against agricultural pests. J Pest Sci 87, 191–200 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10340-013-0538-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10340-013-0538-2

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