Tailoring Biopesticides: Amphiphile-Assisted Nanoprecipitation of Azadirachtin within a Glycine Matrix for Sustainable Agriculture, Enhanced Stability, and Larvicidal Efficacy against Fall Armyworm

Abstract

The limited water solubility and environmental instability of natural pesticidal compounds impede their broader agricultural use. This study reports an amphiphile-assisted nanoprecipitation method to imbibe azadirachtin-rich neem seed extract (NSE) within a glycine carrier matrix, yielding a stable nanocomposite biopesticide. The formulation, prepared using polyoxyethylene sorbitan monooleate as a stabilizer and glycine as the matrix former, followed by lyophilization, exhibited a hydrodynamic diameter of ∼8 nm when redispersed in water. This glycine nanopesticide (GNP) significantly improved the photostability of azadirachtin under UV-AB irradiation (2000 μW/cm2); spectrophotometric analysis revealed a 27.7% reduction in photodegradation over a 4 day period compared to unformulated NSE powder demonstrated dialysis-based in vitro release assay showed sustained release, with 68.2 ± 2.1% released over 7 days, fitting an exponential model with a time constant of 37.6 h. Contact bioassays against Spodoptera frugiperda larvae revealed enhanced larvicidal potency. LC50values showed a 1.5- to 6.6-fold improvement compared to unformulated NSE over 11 days. On day 7, GNP had an LC50of 0.13 mg/mL, compared to 0.86 mg/mL for NSE powder. The nanoformulation also improved wettability on tomato leaves, reducing the contact angle from 99.0° ± 1.6° (DI water) to ∼60° at a concentration of 100 mg/mL GNP. This approach offers a practical method for improving the stability, delivery, and efficacy of hydrophobic biopesticides.