Application and mechanisms of metal-based nanoparticles in the control of bacterial and fungal crop diseases

Nanotechnology is a young branch of the discipline generated by nanomaterials. Its development has greatly contributed to technological progress and product innovation in the field of agriculture. The antimicrobial properties of nanoparticles (NPs) can be used to develop nanopesticides for plant protection. Plant diseases caused by bacterial and fungal infestations are the main types of crop diseases. Once infected, they will seriously threaten crop growth, reduce yield and quality, and affect food safety, posing a health risk to humans. We reviewed the application of metal-based nanoparticles in inhibiting plant pathogenic bacteria and fungi, and discuss the antibacterial mechanisms of metal-based nanoparticles from two aspects: the direct interaction between nanoparticles and pathogens, and the indirect effects of inducing plant resilience to disease. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry.     

鱼藤酮-壳聚糖接枝物农药纳米粒子水分散制剂研究

通过全天然产物蓖麻油酸酐(RAN)与羧甲基壳聚糖(CMC)的酰化反应,合成了羧甲基壳聚糖接技蓖麻油酸(CMC-g-RA)共聚物。探讨了原料的相对分子质量、 RAN与CMC分子上氨基的物质的量之比、反应温度和溶剂等因素对产物取代度的影响。以CMC-g-RA为载体,通过在中性水中自组装大分子胶束的增溶作用,与植物源农药鱼藤酮(Rot)一起制备了一种新型的农药纳米粒子水分散剂。对其粒径、粒径分布、表面电荷、形态结构和Rot的负载率等物理性能进行了表征,探讨了CMC-g-RA和Rot溶液的浓度对纳米粒子各相关性能的影响。结果表明:所形成的纳米粒子干燥后外观形态呈密实光滑的球状,粒径在200~500 nm之间,具有较窄的粒径分布,表面带负电荷;该纳米粒子的Zeta电位值随CMC-g-RA和Rot质量浓度的升高而增大,在-40~-70 mV之间;Rot的负载率在20%~68%范围内。研究表明,改变Rot和CMC-g-RA溶液的质量浓度配比,可调节纳米粒子的物理性能;控制农药的负载率,有助于调控该新型制剂速效与缓释之间的关系。     

小型昆虫蛋白图谱检测方法的比较研究

以烟粉虱[Bemisia tabaci(Gennadius)]和温室白粉虱[Trialeurodes vaporariorum(Westwood)]小型昆虫为研究对象,比较了这些小型昆虫可溶性蛋白SDS-聚丙烯酰胺凝胶电泳的检测方法。结果表明,改进的复合银染法在蛋白质检测中具有效果好、简单快捷的特点。     

Toxicity nanoinsecticide based on clove essential oil against Tribolium castaneum (Herbst)

This study aimed to characterize nanoparticles loaded with clove (Syzygium aromaticum) essential oil-based polyethylene glycol (PEG) and to know their insecticidal activity against red flour beetle (Tribolium castaneum). The nanoparticles have irregular shapes in good dispersion. The nanoformulation could not enhance clove oil contact toxicity to T. castaneum, but could protect the oil from degradation and evaporation while simultaneously allowing sustained release, as indicated by the continued high toxicity for 16 weeks of storage.     

纳米SiO2表面改性及其对阿维菌素吸附性能的影响

采用硅烷偶联剂KH-570对纳米SiO2进行了表面接枝改性,并探讨了改性材料对阿维菌素的吸附性能。通过X射线衍射(XRD)、扫描电子显微镜(SEM)、傅立叶变换红外光谱(FTIR)等技术对表面改性纳米SiO2的结构和性能进行了分析。结果表明,纳米SiO2粒子经KH-570进行表面改性后,其分散性得以改善,对阿维菌素的包封率比改性前的大幅提高,提高率最高达92.6%。用KH-570改性的纳米SiO2可作为一种较为理想的新型生物农药载体。     

盐胁迫对向日葵幼苗生长及生理特性的影响

以银叶向日葵ARG1807（Wt）为供试材料,陕葵2号的保持系（HA）和恢复系（HL）为对照材料,利用250 mmol·L^-1 NaCl溶液进行盐胁迫处理7 d,分析供试材料与对照材料盐胁迫前后的形态变化以及叶片中的叶绿素、脯氨酸、丙二醛含量及SOD活性等生理指标差异,探究银叶向日葵耐盐的形态和生理基础。结果表明：（1）Wt的株高、叶面积增量以及根、茎、叶生物量分别比未进行NaCl胁迫处理植株（对照,CK）减少24.53%、38.21%、2.59%、5.50%、3.42%,其变化幅度小于HA和HL。(2) 在盐胁迫处理下,各向日葵品种的胞间二氧化碳浓度（Ci）均显著下降,而气孔限制值（Ls）显著上升,说明HA、HL与Wt净光合速率降低主要是由于气孔因素。（3）在盐胁迫下,3个向日葵品种叶片的脯氨酸含量（Pro）、丙二醛含量（MDA）、超氧化物歧化酶（SOD）活性、过氧化物酶（POD）活性以及过氧化氢酶活性（CAT）均发生了显著变化,其中,Wt的脯氨酸含量、SOD活性、POD活性以及CAT活性分别比CK增加279.94%、65.09%、211.11%和55.91%,高于HA 和HL,而MDA含量比CK增加231.10%,低于HA。（4）随着时间的推移,3个向日葵品种叶片失水速率均显著上升,其中,Wt的失水速率一直低于HA、HL。在失水150 min时,HA失水速率最高,达84%,Wt叶片失水最慢,失水速率为69%,说明Wt在保水能力方面具有显著优势。（5）观察向日葵叶片表型发现：Wt的叶片表皮毛长度长,密度明显多于HA和HL,推测这可能是Wt保水性强于HA和HL的原因。分析表明：在盐逆境下,形态指标和生理指标,均为银叶向日葵表现最佳,优势突出,表明其在盐逆境下具有更强的适应能力。     

Controlled release of avermectin from porous hollow silica nanoparticles

Porous hollow silica nanoparticles (PHSNs) with a diameter of ca 100 nm and a pore size of ca 4.5 nm were synthesized via a sol-gel route using inorganic calcium carbonate nanoparticles as templates. The synthesized PHSNs were subsequently employed as pesticide carriers to study the controlled release behaviour of avermectin. The avermectin-loaded PHSN (Av-PHSN) samples were characterized by BET, thermogravimetric analysis and IR, showing that the amount of avermectin encapsulated in the PHSN carrier could reach 58.3% w/w by a simple immersion loading method, and that most of the adsorption of avermectin on the Av-PHSN carrier might be physical. Avermectin may be loaded on the external surface, the pore channels in the wall and the inner core of the PHSN carriers, thus leading to a multi-stage sustained-release pattern from the Av-PHSN samples. Increasing pH or temperature intensified the avermectin release.     

Detection of Colletotrichum coccodes and Helminthosporium solani in soils by bioassay

The sensitivity of a bioassay in detecting soil inoculum of Colletotrichum coccodes and Helminthosporium solani was examined using potato minitubers and microplants. Tests were conducted on soils which were collected from fields in which the interval after a previous potato crop differed, and which were also artificially infested with conidia or microsclerotia. For C. coccodes , determining plant infection based on the occurrence of infected roots after 9–12 weeks was a sensitive method for detecting and quantifying the amount of inoculum in soil. Infestations of less than 0·4 microsclerotia per g soil were detected in artificially infested soils. A semiselective medium, developed for isolating C. gloeosporioides from pepper, detected soil infestations by C. coccodes as low as nine conidia or one microsclerotium per g soil in artificially infested soil. For H. solani , infection on minitubers was a sensitive measure, with soil inoculum of fewer than 10 conidia per g soil being detected. Soil infestation could be quantified by assessing the percentage surface area of minitubers covered by sporulating lesions, which was strongly related to the amount of soil infestation. The results of these bioassay tests were compared with published results for real-time quantitative PCR assays on the same soils. The two methods were in good agreement in artificially infested soils, but the bioassay appeared to be more sensitive with naturally infested soils.     

Inhibitory effect of AuNPs-Endostar on melanoma lung metastasis in mice

AIM: To observe the influence of gold nanoparticles combined with Endostar (AuNPs-Endostar) on the melanoma lung metastasis of mice and the underlying mechanism. METHODS: C57BL/6 mice (n=24) were selected for constructing the model of spontaneous lung metastasis of melanoma B16-F10 cells. Subsequently, the mice were randomly divided into Endostar group, AuNPs group, AuNPs-Endostar group and model group. After the formation of melanoma, the mice in each group were injected with different drugs through tail vein for 0.1 mL daily. After 9 d, the mice were narcotized for cutting the tumors in situ. After the operation, they were raised for 2 weeks before killed for obtaining the lung tissues to observe the situation of the metastasis. HE staining was utilized for observing the necrosis status of the tumors in situ, while immunostaining was applied for testing the expression of CD31, carbonic anhydrase-IX (CA-IX), vimentin and zonula occludens-1 (ZO-1) in the tumors. RESULTS: Compared with model group, the pulmonary metastasis in the groups with medical treatment was obviously reduced. In AuNPs-Endostar group, the metastasis inhibition rate was the highest, and the tumor necrosis was also decreased obviously, with the significant reduction of CD31, CA-IX and vimentin expression in the tumors and significant increase in ZO-1 expression. CONCLUSION: Compared with using Endostar or AuNPs alone, the combination of AuNPs with Endostar significantly improves the curative effect of inhibiting the pulmonary metastasis of melanoma in the mice. The mechanism may be related to reducing the tumor angiogenesis, norma-lizing the blood vessels and improving tumor hypoxia, thus inhibiting the tumor epithelial-mesenchymal transition, increasing the tight junctions between tumor cells and decreasing the invasiveness.     

Epidemiological investigations of trichostrongylid infections in young cattle in different parts of Norway

The occurrence of trichostrongylid nematodes in young cattle was studied in relation to climate and geographical location, by examination of herbage and faecal samples from 8 farms in 7 different regions in Norway, during 3 consecutive summers. Species of Ostertagia and Cooperia were dominant. Infective larvae, especially those of Ostertagia, were able to survive the winter in the pasture to a great extent in all the areas studied. The spring larval counts varied considerably from place to place, and from year to year, but were often at fairly high levels. This confirms previous findings that the larvae which overwinter on the pasture may be a major cause of losses. Overt clinical disease, however, was only seen at 1 farm during this investigation.The large number of larvae often seen in the autumn seems to be of less significance as a cause of disease, due to the late appearance, but is of major importance as a source of the larvae which survive the winter in the pasture and infect young cattle the following spring.There was no obvious correlation between pasture larval counts and the climate, except that there seemed to be higher counts in the warmer parts of the country, where the grazing season is also longer. The only place were both faecal egg counts and larval counts in the herbage were consistently low, was in the very far north.