Sustainable Synthesis and Characterization of Plant-mediated Nanobiopesticides and Assessment of their Pesticidal Potential

The excessive consumption of chemical pesticides has negative consequences for men, non-target creatures, and the surrounding environment. Pest control tactics are evolving towards biopesticides, which offer a viable and ecologically friendly sustainable approach to the insect challenges. The primary goals of this study are to investigate the potential of nanotechnology in revolutionizing pest management through the development of nanopesticides and to address the environmental and health concerns associated with traditional agrochemicals. The main objective of the current research work was to prepare medicinal plants based nanobiopesticides having improved stability, and pesticidal activity by following the method of antisolvent precipitation. Nanobiopesticides showed increased pesticidal activity and might be employed as an effective substitute to conventional chemical pesticides. The antisolvent precipitation process was used to create nanobiopesticides from medicinal plant extracts. Different medicinal plants (Mentha piperita, Lawsonia Inermis, T. Arjuna bark, Withania Somnifera roots and Ocimum basilicum) was used for the formulation of nanobiopesticides. Soxhlet apparatus was used to formulate medicinal plants extract. Different stablizers was utilized until the stable nanosuspension was formulated. The most suitable nanoformulated pesticides was characterized using FTIR, and Zeta sizer. Almost all nanobiopesticides demonstrated the existence of the O-H stretch at 3300 cm which is characteristic of alcohol and carbon-oxygen double bond at 1636.3 cm. Lawsonia Inermis based nanosuspension revealed intense peak at 3317 cm. The average particle size and polydisperity index of Lawsonia Inermis based nanobiopesticide is 228.7 nm and 24.5%. Medicinal plants extracts, nanosuspensions and pyriproxyfen was applied on Tribolium castaneum insects and mortality rate of insects was determined after different time inervals. Lawsonia Inermis plant extract showed highest (p < 0.05) mortality rate after 72 hours of treatment 51.83 ± 0.76 by utilizing 200mg/ml concentration. Results demonstrated that the Lawsonia Inermis nanosuspension had an 61.83% death rate after 72 hours of exposure due to their nanosized structure, which is higher than the plant extract but lower than the synthetic pesticide.