Nature is a source of biologically active products that can act as fungicides, bactericides, acaricides, herbicides and insecticides. However, the application of these biopesticides can be challenging because they are generally insoluble in aqueous phases, highly volatile and unstable. One strategy to promote their use is their encapsulation into natural hosts, cyclodextrins. Encapsulation in cyclodextrins would offer many advantages such as increased solubility, lower release rates and protection against chemical and physical degradation. The efficacy of cyclodextrin/natural compound inclusion complexes for crop protection is reviewed for preharvest treatment and various stages of postharvest handling such as storage, distribution, packaging and marketing.
Some examples of natural compounds cited in the review: hexanal, carvacrol, carvone, cinnamon, eugenol, linalool, natamycin, p-anisaldehyde, thymol, tea tree oil, and other essential oils and herbal plant extracts.
Decool, G., Kfoury, M., Paitel, L., Sardo, A., Fourmentin, S. Cyclodextrins as molecular carriers for biopesticides: a review. Environ Chem Lett (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10311-023-01658-3