Nanoencapsulation of 3-chloropropylaminobenzoate derivatives with potential insecticidal activity

Pests and weedy diseases are one of the problems for agricultural production. To combat these problems insecticides are used, but in recent times, insecticide resistance has increased. The search for new alternative pesticides to circumvent this limitation of the existing compounds is a current challenge. Aminobenzoic acid derivatives have shown various pharmacological properties, including pesticide activity giving these compounds the ability to work as alternatives to current pesticides.

Nanostructured materials have recently received increasing attention due to their unique properties and wide range of vital applications. Nanotechnology could efficiently support the use of various active compounds by encapsulating them in stable nanoformulations, such as nano-emulsions to improve their stability and effectiveness.

In the present work, 3-chloropropylaminobenzoate derivatives were synthesised, evaluated against their effect upon the viability of the insect cell line Sf9 (Spodoptera frugiperda) and nanoencapsulation studies of the most active compound were carried out. The most potent molecules reduced insect cell viability by around 40% at 100 µg/mL.