Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2024 Aug 29;10(18):e37132.
doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e37132. eCollection 2024 Sep 30.

Advancements in the nanodelivery of azole-based fungicides to control oil palm pathogenic fungi

Azren Aida Asmawi  1   2 , Fatmawati Adam  1 , Nurul Aini Mohd Azman  1 , Mohd Basyaruddin Abdul Rahman  3   4
Affiliations
Review

Advancements in the nanodelivery of azole-based fungicides to control oil palm pathogenic fungi

Azren Aida Asmawi et al. Heliyon. .

Abstract

The cultivation of oil palms is of great importance in the global agricultural industry due to its role as a primary source of vegetable oil with a wide range of applications. However, the sustainability of this industry is threatened by the presence of pathogenic fungi, particularly Ganoderma spp., which cause detrimental oil palm disease known as basal stem rot (BSR). This unfavorable condition eventually leads to significant productivity losses in the harvest, with reported yield reductions of 50-80 % in severely affected plantations. Azole-based fungicides offer potential solutions to control BSR, but their efficacy is hampered by limited solubility, penetration, distribution, and bioavailability. Recent advances in nanotechnology have paved the way for the development of nanosized delivery systems. These systems enable effective fungicide delivery to target pathogens and enhance the bioavailability of azole fungicides while minimising environmental and human health risks. In field trials, the application of azole-based nanofungicides resulted in up to 75 % reduction in disease incidence compared to conventional fungicide treatments. These innovations offer opportunities for the development of sustainable agricultural practices. This review highlights the importance of oil palm cultivation concerning the ongoing challenges posed by pathogenic fungi and examines the potential of azole-based fungicides for disease control. It also reviews recent advances in nanotechnology for fungicide delivery, explores the mechanisms behind these nanodelivery systems, and emphasises the opportunities and challenges associated with azole-based nanofungicides. Hence, this review provides valuable insights for future nanofungicide development in effective oil palm disease control.

Keywords: Azoles; Fungicides; Ganoderma; Nanodelivery; Oil palm; Pathogenic fungi.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: Fatmawati Adam reports financial support was provided by Universiti Malaysia Pahang Al-Sultan Abdullah, Malaysia. If there are other authors, they declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Ganoderma spp. life cycle. The fruiting bodies of Ganoderma spp. produce millions of basidiospores, which can be dispersed by wind, insects, or through root-to-root contact. The germinating basidiospores form mycelia and mate with compatible partners to form pathogenic dikaryotic mycelia. Subsequently, these mycelia progress to form primordia and colonise the oil palm's root and basal stem, eventually leading to the growth of basidiocarps on the affected tree's lower trunk. Figure created with BioRender.com.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
The mode of action of azoles on the fungal membrane. The azole compounds act by inhibiting the synthesis of the sterol components and leading to the accumulation of abnormal sterol (14α-methylated sterol) that destabilises the cell membrane, ultimately resulting in cell lysis and death. Figure created with BioRender.com.
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
The application of nanocarrier in fungicide delivery. (A) The types of nanoparticles employed for fungicides encapsulation and delivery, (B) intricate the transportation pathways of nanoparticles in plants through foliar and root uptakes. Figure created with BioRender.com.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Statista Global production volume palm oil 20222/23. 2023 https://www.statista.com/statistics/613471/palm-oil-production-volume-wo...
    1. Kadir G., Parveez A., Nur, Kamil N., Norliyana, Zawawi Z., Ong-Abdullah Meilina, Rasuddin Rahmahwati, Soh, Loh K., Kanga, Selvaduray R., Seng S. Hoong, Idris Z. Oil palm economic performance in Malaysia and R&D progress in 2021. J. Oil Palm Res. 2022;34:185–218. doi: 10.21894/jopr.2022.0036. - DOI
    1. Cheah W.Y., Siti-Dina R.P., Leng S.T.K., Er A.C., Show P.L. Circular bioeconomy in palm oil industry: current practices and future perspectives. Environ. Technol. Innov. 2023;30 doi: 10.1016/J.ETI.2023.103050. - DOI
    1. Khoo Y.W., Chong K.P. Ganoderma boninense: general characteristics of pathogenicity and methods of control. Front. Plant Sci. 2023;14:1–17. doi: 10.3389/fpls.2023.1156869. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Darlis D., Jalloh M.B., Chin C.F.S., Basri N.K.M., Besar N.A., Ahmad K., Rakib M.R.M. Exploring the potential of Bornean polypore fungi as biological control agents against pathogenic Ganoderma boninense causing basal stem rot in oil palm. Sci. Reports. 2023;13:1–10. doi: 10.1038/s41598-023-37507-0. 2023 131. - DOI - PMC - PubMed