Thermo-responsive liposome nano-vesicles for co-delivery of emamectin benzoate and nitenpyram with synergistic pest control

The conventional pesticide formulations often suffer from low utilization rates and trigger the development of resistance, leading to significant resource waste and ecological damage. A promising solution to these issues lies in the design of intelligent, nanotechnology-based systems for controlled-release and co-delivery of pesticides. A multi-compartment liposome nano-vesicle (Co-EM-Lip) that simultaneously carries emamectin benzoate (EB) and nitenpyram (Nit) has been developed, using a eutectic mixture (EM) of fatty acids as a temperature-sensitive “switch”. This Co-EM-Lip system successfully enabled the co-delivery of two pesticides with differing water solubility and insecticidal pathways, along with a thermo-responsive controlled release. The effectiveness of Co-EM-Lip against Plutella xylostella was approximately 4.4 times higher at 35 °C than at 15 °C, which is attributable to high temperature-triggered rapid release properties. Importantly, EB and Nit within Co-EM-Lip demonstrated synergistic biological effects against various pests. Additionally, Co-EM-Lip showed less toxicity to zebrafish. This research thus introduces a novel strategy to devise smart, controlled-release and co-delivery pesticide systems aimed at enhancing pesticide efficiency, delaying pest resistance, and minimizing environmental harm and impact on non-target organisms.