Produção de esferas de nanocelulose bacteriana funcionalizadas com fungicida alternativo visando a liberação controlada no tratamento da antracnose

Abstract

Nanotechnology offers solutions for optimizing products, increasing the contact area, the greater reach of the treatment target and increasing the stability and efficacy of agrochemicals. Among the nanotechnological materials currently being studied for controlled release, bacterial nanocellulose (BNC) stands out due to its excellent mechanical properties, as well as its biodegradability, biocompatibility and sustainable origin. An alternative to the use of synthetic pesticides is to replace them with natural molecules such as essential oils (EOs). Among these, cinnamon essential oil (CEO) stands out in the treatment of anthracnose due to its high antifungal potential. The aim of this work is to produce a biofungicide with the carrier characteristics of BNC together with the fungal inhibition resulting from the CEO encapsulated in the biomaterial with slow delivery. For this purpose, it was necessary to develop NCB in a spherical shape with diameters of 3 a 5 mm, through a culture stirred at 110 rpm with volumes of 15 and 17 mL. The CEO was also incorporated into the NCB by immersion in pure oil solubilized in ethanol, in the same way as the tests with the standard fungicide. The polymer was dried after incorporation by freeze-drying and the release and fungicidal potential of the CEO on the fungus studied was analyzed using the mycelial growth rate index. Finally, the spheres were characterized by SEM and FTIR. The work therefore resulted in the development of BNC nanocarrier spheres capable of releasing encapsulated cinnamon essential oil to form a biofungicide qualified to inhibit the fungus Colletotrichum lindemuthianum and thus treat anthracnose.