A high adhesion co-assembly based on myclobutanil and tannic acid for sustainable plant disease management

Background Pesticides are irreplaceable inputs for protecting crops from pests and improving crop yield and quality. Self-assembly nanotechnology is a promising strategy by which to develop novel nano-formulations for pesticides. Nano-formulations improve the effective utilization of pesticides and reduce risks to the environment because of their eco-friendly preparation, high drug loading, and desirable physicochemical properties. Here, to enhance the utilization efficiency of myclobutanil (MYC) and develop a novel nano-formulation, carrier-free co-assembled nanoparticles (MT NPs) based on MYC and tannic acid (TA) were prepared by noncovalent molecular interactions using a green preparation process without any additives. Results The results showed that the prepared spherical nanoparticles had good stability in neutral and acidic aqueous solutions, low surface tension (40.53 mN m −1 ), high rainfastness, and good maximum retention values on plant leaves. Release of active ingredients from MT NPs could be regulated by altering the molar ratio of subassemblies in the co-assembly and the pH of the environment. Antifungal experiments demonstrated that MT NPs had better activities against Alternaria alternata and Fusarium graminearum [half-maximal effective concentration (EC 50 ) = 6.40 and 77.08 mg/L] compared with free MYC (EC 50 = 11.46 and 124.82 mg/L), TA (EC 50 = 251.19 and 503.81 mg/L), and an MYC + TA mixture (EC 50 = 9.62 and 136.21 mg/L). These results suggested that MYC and TA incorporated in the co-assembled nanoparticles had a synergistic antifungal activity. The results of a genotoxicity assessment indicated that MT NPs could reduce the genotoxicity of MYC to plant cells. Conclusion Co-assembled MT NPs with synergistic antifungal activity have outstanding potential for the management of plant diseases. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.