Bertonceli Maria A A, Cristo Vitor D C, Vieira Ivo J, Lemos Francisco J A, Façanha Arnoldo R, Braz-Filho Raimundo, Batista Gustavo V T, Basso Luis G M, Seabra Sérgio H, Nogueira Thalya S R, Moreira Felipe F, Assis Arícia L E M, Oliveira Antônia E A, Fernandes Kátia V S
Laboratório de Química e Função de Proteinas e Peptídeos, CBB, Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense Darcy Ribeiro, Campos dos Goytacazes/RJ, Brazil.
Laboratório de Ciências Químicas, CCT, Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense Darcy Ribeiro, Campos dos Goytacazes/RJ, Brazil.
Beilstein J Nanotechnol. 2025 Jul 28;16:1197-1208. doi: 10.3762/bjnano.16.88. eCollection 2025.
Climate change has intensified the proliferation of disease vectors, such as , the primary transmitter of dengue, chikungunya, and zika viruses. Although the two recently licensed dengue vaccines represent a significant advancement, vector management remains the primary strategy for preventing these urban arboviruses. In this context, the development of pesticides that offer safer alternatives for the environment and human health has become urgent. In this study, a chitosan-based nanocomposite was developed as a delivery system for rotenoids isolated from seeds, leveraging their larvicidal activity against third-instar larvae of . The nanocomposite was synthesized using a controlled ionic gelation method incorporating the TPP-β-CD inclusion complex, which resulted in nanoparticles with smaller size, improved polydispersity index, and enhanced stability, evidenced by a higher zeta potential. FTIR analysis confirmed rotenoid incorporation into the nanocomposite and suggested hydrogen bonding or potential covalent interaction with chitosan functional groups. Bioassays demonstrated that the nanocomposite achieved an LC of 91.7 ppm, representing a 23.6% increase in larvicidal efficacy compared to the rotenoids in their natural form. The nanocomposite also induced dose-dependent morphological and physiological alterations in the larvae, including damage to the peritrophic matrix, evidenced by abnormal anal excretion, and tissue melanization and formation of melanotic pseudotumors. These responses may be associated with increased production of reactive oxygen species in the larval midgut, consistent with previous findings for the nonencapsulated rotenoids. Importantly, empty nanoparticles exhibited no adverse effects on larval survival, which is attributed to the biocompatibility and nontoxic nature of chitosan, a biodegradable polysaccharide structurally related to the insect exoskeleton and widely recognized for its environmental safety. Additionally, neither rotenoids nor the CS/TPP-β-CD-rot nanocomposite exerted cytotoxic effects, confirming their favorable safety profile. These findings highlight the potential of nanotechnology to enhance the efficacy of bioactive compounds while minimizing environmental and human health risks, offering a sustainable and innovative strategy for vector control.
气候变化加剧了疾病媒介的繁殖，例如登革热、基孔肯雅热和寨卡病毒的主要传播者 。尽管最近获批的两种登革热疫苗代表了重大进展，但病媒管理仍然是预防这些城市虫媒病毒的主要策略。在此背景下，开发对环境和人类健康更安全的替代农药变得迫在眉睫。在本研究中，一种基于壳聚糖的纳米复合材料被开发为从 种子中分离出的鱼藤酮类化合物的递送系统，利用其对 三龄幼虫的杀幼虫活性。该纳米复合材料采用包含TPP-β-CD包合物的可控离子凝胶法合成，得到了尺寸更小、多分散指数改善且稳定性增强的纳米颗粒，更高的zeta电位证明了这一点。傅里叶变换红外光谱（FTIR）分析证实鱼藤酮类化合物已掺入纳米复合材料，并表明与壳聚糖官能团存在氢键或潜在的共价相互作用。生物测定表明，该纳米复合材料的半数致死浓度（LC）为91.7 ppm，与天然形式的鱼藤酮类化合物相比，杀幼虫效力提高了23.6%。该纳米复合材料还在幼虫中诱导了剂量依赖性的形态和生理变化，包括围食膜受损，表现为异常的肛门排泄物，以及组织黑化和黑色素假瘤的形成。这些反应可能与幼虫中肠活性氧物种的产生增加有关，这与之前关于未封装的鱼藤酮类化合物的研究结果一致。重要的是，空纳米颗粒对幼虫存活没有不利影响，这归因于壳聚糖的生物相容性和无毒性质，壳聚糖是一种与昆虫外骨骼结构相关的可生物降解多糖，因其环境安全性而被广泛认可。此外，鱼藤酮类化合物和CS/TPP-β-CD-rot纳米复合材料均未产生细胞毒性作用，证实了它们良好的安全性。这些发现突出了纳米技术在提高生物活性化合物效力的同时将环境和人类健康风险降至最低的潜力，为病媒控制提供了一种可持续的创新策略。
