METALLIC PHYTO-NANOPARTICLES AND THEIR INSECTICIDAL ACTIVITY AGAINST RED WEEVIL (Tribolium castaneum) AND MEALYBUG (Phenanoccus solenopsis)

Alfaro-Corres et al. Fito-nanopartículas metálicas y su actividad insecticida

Authors

  • Arnoldo Alfaro-Corres Tecnológico Nacional de México/I.T. Conkal, Avenida Tecnológico s/n, Conkal C.P. 97345, Yucatán, México
  • Daniel González Mendoza Instituto de Ciencias Agrícolas de la Universidad Autónoma de Baja California, Carretera a Delta s/n C.P. 21705, Ejido Nuevo León, Mexicali, Baja California, México
  • Esaú Ruiz-Sánchez Tecnológico Nacional de México/I.T. Conkal, Avenida Tecnológico s/n, Conkal C.P. 97345, Yucatán, México
  • Benjamin Valdez-Salas Instituto de Ingeniería, Universidad Autónoma de Baja California, Blvd. Benito Juárez and Normal s/n., C.P. 21280, Mexicali, Baja California, México
  • Vianey Mendez-Trujillo Facultad de Medicina y Nutrición de la Universidad Autónoma de Baja California Humberto Torres Sanginés s/n, Centro Cívico; C.P. 21000 Mexicali, Baja California, México
  • Ernesto Beltran-Partida Instituto de Ingeniería, Universidad Autónoma de Baja California, Blvd. Benito Juárez and Normal s/n., C.P. 21280, Mexicali, Baja California, México

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.29393/CHJAAS41-35FNAB60035

Keywords:

Phytonanoparticles, green synthesis, plant extract, pest control, nanotechnology

Abstract

The presence of insect pests, such as the red weevil (Tribolium castaneum) and mealybug (Phenacoccus solenopsis), poses a significant threat to various crops and stored grains. Among the available management alternatives is the use of nanoparticles (NPs) derived from plant components, which tend not to cause damage to the ecosystem like agrochemicals do. The objective of this study was to obtain bi- (Zn/Cu-NPs) and tri-metallic (Zn/Cu/Mn-NPs) phyto-nanoparticles from the aqueous leaf extract of neem (Azadirachta indica), to carry out their physicochemical characterization, and to evaluate their insecticidal activity against red weevil (Tribolium castaneum) and mealybug (P. solenopsis). The results showed that Zn/Cu-NPs and Zn/Cu/Mn-NPs had a high effect on mortality and cell viability for both insects, being T. castaneum more sensitive than P. solenopsis at 96 h after application, also reflected in cell viability. Regarding physicochemical characterization, Zn/Cu-NPs and Zn/Cu/Mn-NPs presented sizes of 255 and 631 nm, with a Z potential of 20.0 and 28.4 mV, respectively. The EDX analysis showed the presence of zinc (1.65%) in Zn/Cu-NPs and the presence of zinc (1.70%) and copper (2.76%) in Zn/Cu-NPs. This study suggests that bi- and trimetallic NPs from A. indica have strong insecticidal properties against T. castaneum and P. solenopsis. However, additional information is needed to determine the role of the phytochemicals present in NP synthesis and their mechanism of action on insects.

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Published

2025-12-30

How to Cite

Alfaro-Corres, A. ., González Mendoza, D., Ruiz-Sánchez, E. ., Valdez-Salas, B. ., Mendez-Trujillo, V., & Beltran-Partida, E. (2025). METALLIC PHYTO-NANOPARTICLES AND THEIR INSECTICIDAL ACTIVITY AGAINST RED WEEVIL (Tribolium castaneum) AND MEALYBUG (Phenanoccus solenopsis): Alfaro-Corres et al. Fito-nanopartículas metálicas y su actividad insecticida . Chilean Journal of Agricultural & Animal Sciences , 41(3), 397-407. https://doi.org/10.29393/CHJAAS41-35FNAB60035

Issue

Vol. 41 No. 3 (2025)

Section

Research article

Copyright (c) 2025 Arnoldo Alfaro-Corres, Daniel González Mendoza, Esaú Ruiz-Sánchez, Benjamin Valdez-Salas, Vianey Mendez-Trujillo, Ernesto Beltran-Partida

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.