A recent study published in the journal ACS Agricultural Science and Technology investigates the hybridization of chitosan and silver nanoparticles to enhance antibacterial properties in tomato plants.
Study: Hybridization of chitosan and biosynthesized silver nanoparticles to enhance antimicrobial activity against phytopathogens in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum)† Image credit: eugenegurkov/Shutterstock.com
The chitosan-hybridized biogenic silver nanoparticles ([email protected]) have remarkable biocompatibility, suggesting that these materials can be used as safe and efficient antibacterial bioagents for green nano-enabled agriculture.
Nanotechnology for agricultural applications
Nanotechnology has evolved as a highly efficient and remarkably successful technique to complement or even replace many traditional agricultural practices.
Metal and metal oxide nanomaterials have been extensively studied for infection control in various disease systems. Many studies show that they are highly efficient in agricultural applications due to their biological activity and bioavailability.
However, several of these compounds have uncharacteristic environmental effects, raising concerns about the biohazards of such materials if used extensively in food production.
Recently, there has been great interest in creating biological methods for the green production of metallic nanoparticles.
Many experts claim that these nanomaterials are more efficient for agricultural purposes, both in terms of production and use. Several papers have recently been published on the use of organic substrates to produce metal nanoparticles that provide cost-effective, biodegradable, non-toxic and environmentally friendly nanomaterials.
Biogenic Silver Nanoparticles (BSNPs); Why are they important?
Biogenic silver nanoparticles have recently received a lot of attention for their exceptional antibacterial activity and relatively little cellular toxicity. These biogenic silver nanoparticles can be manufactured using environmentally friendly green chemistry methods.
Various biologically or chemically generated materials and ligands are used to tune the shape, size, interface potential and overall reactivity of silver nanoparticles. The production of silver nanoparticles from biodegradable materials can significantly improve their biocompatibility and antibacterial activity.
Understanding the importance of critical biological groups associated with silver nanoparticles will enable the optimization of production methods, resulting in the most cost-effective and environmentally sustainable crop protection solutions.
Chitosan hybridized BSNPs for tomato plant growth
Biogenic silver nanoparticles and chitosan nanomaterials have previously been shown to exhibit unique antibacterial activities against specific pathogens of tomato plants. However, the effectiveness and cumulative potential of bioactive silver nanoparticles and chitosan composite materials are still unclear.
The tomato plant Solanum Lycopersicum is the second most important vegetable product after potatoes and is severely affected by a wide range of infections. To reduce crop damage, various chemical pesticides are used, such as copper-based insecticides, carbendazim, bonide mancozeb and chlorothalonil.
However, the widespread use of pesticides causes a serious environmental problem. Nanoscale biologically produced materials generated from microbe and plant extracts are highly biocompatible and can be used to sustainably improve antibacterial properties in tomato plants.
Highlights of the current study
In this study, the researchers focused on creating polymer-fabricated bioactive silver nanoparticles using T. Virideextracellular connections and further hybridization of chitosan.
The antibacterial activity was tested in vitro against various plant pathogens. Greenhouse research with the tomato plant was also used to assess disease control capacity through systematic research on biological and behavioral characteristics.
Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), energy-dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were used to investigate chitosan hybridization and T. Viride-derived chemicals in combination with silver nanoparticles.
Key developments and future prospects
Chitosan hybridized biogenic silver nanoparticles ([email protected]) were found to limit the development of both fungal strains and bacterial pathogens.
Further, [email protected] Significantly reduced disease frequency in greenhouse tomato plants, leading to relief of biotic stress from numerous pathogens, as evidenced by the tomato plant’s growth and therapeutic properties. These benefits of the [email protected] can be linked to biological compounds extracted from T. Viride†
The use of biogenic silver nanoparticles in combination with chitosan resulted in a new and long-lasting antibacterial agent against a broad spectrum of pathogens in the tomato plant.
These results suggest that biosynthesized nanoparticles represent an important new area of research in developing green crop protection techniques based on nanotechnology. The green silver nanoparticles created in this work hold tremendous promise as a unique and green crop protection solution, with the potential to significantly improve agricultural productivity and food security.
Reference
Giri, VP et al. (2022). Hybridization of chitosan and biosynthesized silver nanoparticles to enhance antimicrobial activity against phytopathogens in tomato (Solanum Lycopersicum). ACS Agricultural Science and Technology† Available at: https://doi.org/10.1021/acsagscitech.1c00252
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