Rosmarinus officinalis essential oil incorporated into nanoparticles as an efficient insecticide against Drosophila suzukii (Diptera: Drosophilidae)

Abstract

The effective control of an insect pest such as Drosophila suzukii (Diptera: Drosophilidae) has been challenging because its attack on red fruits can cause losses in production of up to 80% worldwide. The objective of this work was to extract and characterise the essential oil from rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis), produce and characterise nanoparticles incorporated with this essential oil, evaluate the in vivo insecticide activity of free and nanoencapsulated essential oil against D. suzukii, and evaluate the effect of that oil on the enzyme acetylcholinesterase. The nanoparticles produced with the essential oil from rosemary had a particle size and surface charge of 236.6 nm and −11.8 mV, respectively. According to the FTIR data, the essential oil was incorporated into the polymeric matrix of poly(ε-caprolactone). Through in vivo toxicity analysis, the free and nanoencapsulated essential oils were found to possess insecticidal activity, with an LD50 close to 9.1 g/L. The maximum anticholinesterase activity for the essential oil was 75% at a concentration of 0.10 mg/mL. The incorporation of the essential oil from R. officinalis into biodegradable nanoparticles of poly(ε-caprolactone) potentiated and prolonged its in vivo insecticidal activity against D. suzukii.