Kaempferol loaded lecithin/chitosan nanoparticles: preparation, characterization, and their potential applications as a sustainable antifungal agent

Abstract

Flavonoid compounds are strong antioxidant and antifungal agents but their applications are limited due to their poor dissolution and bioavailability. The use of nanotechnology in agriculture has received increasing attention, with the development of new formulations containing active compounds. In this study, kaempferol (KAE) was loaded into lecithin/chitosan nanoparticles (LC NPs) to determine antifungal activity compared to pure KAE against the phytopathogenic fungus Fusarium oxysporium to resolve the bioavailability problem. The influence of formulation parameters on the physicochemical properties of KAE loaded lecithin chitosan nanoparticles (KAE-LC NPs) were studied by using the electrostatic self-assembly technique. KAE-LC NPs were characterized in terms of physicochemical properties. KAE has been successfully encapsulated in LC NPs with an efficiency of 93.8 ± 4.28% and KAE-LC NPs showed good physicochemical stability. Moreover, in vitro evaluation of the KAE-LC NP system was made by the release kinetics, antioxidant and antifungal activity in a time-dependent manner against free KAE. Encapsulated KAE exhibited a significantly inhibition efficacy (67%) against Fusarium oxysporium at the end of the 60 day storage period. The results indicated that KAE-LC NP formulation could solve the problems related to the solubility and loss of KAE during use and storage. The new nanoparticle system enables the use of smaller quantities of fungicide and therefore, offers a more environmentally friendly method of controlling fungal pathogens in agriculture.

Keywords:

• Antifungal agent
• encapsulation
• kaempferol
• nanoparticle engineering system
• plant pathogens
• safe natural

Acknowledgements

We would like to thank Ayhan Şahenk Foundation for their support for laboratories of Ayhan Şahenk Agricultural Sciences and Technologies Faculty. We are also thankful for Prof. Dr. Feza Korkusuz for his generous help.

Disclosure statement

The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of this article.

Funding information

This work was supported by Hacettepe University Scientific Research Project grant (014 D12 101 005-820) and The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TUBITAK) with PhD Scholarship (2211/C).