Constructing co-assembly derived smart lipid nanoparticles for enhanced antimicrobial potency with plant growth-promoting potential
- 1State Key Laboratory of Green Pesticides, Key Laboratory of Green Pesticide and Agricultural Bioengineering, Ministry of Education, Center for R&D of Fine Chemicals of Guizhou University, Guiyang, 550025 China
- 2School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Guizhou University, Guiyang, 550025 China
- 3Guizhou Tea Research Institute, Guizhou Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Guiyang, 550006 China
Abstract
Lipid nanoparticles (LNP) are widely used in biomedical applications due to their biocompatibility and safety, yet their translation to plant systems remains limited. Here, we establish a unified strategy integrating antibacterial compound discovery, plant-adapted nanocarrier design, and mechanistic elucidation to combat bacterial plant diseases. A series of thymol-derived quaternary ammonium compounds were synthesized, among which C2 was identified as the lead candidate with potent antibacterial activity (EC50 = 0.78 µg/mL). Upon co-assembly into lipid nanoparticles, C2@LNP exhibited pH-responsive release under infection-associated acidic conditions and achieved a high drug-loading efficiency of 82.41%. This plant-tailored LNP system enhances cuticle penetration and foliar retention, as demonstrated by systematic analyses of leaf deposition, droplet behavior, and microscopic adhesion. Consequently, C2@LNP enabled improved disease control at reduced dosages, with protective and curative efficacies 1.94-fold and 1.56-fold higher than those of free C2, respectively. Interestingly, certain lipid components of the nanocarrier, particularly HSPC, exhibited a preliminary plant growth–promoting potential. Mechanistic studies indicated that the enhanced antibacterial performance arises from suppression of quorum sensing, membrane disruption, and induction of apoptosis-like cell death. Overall, this work establishes a sustainable pesticide delivery paradigm for environmentally friendly crop protection.
Graphical abstract:
Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at https://doi.org/10.1186/s12951-026-04885-2.
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BibTeX
@article{rao2026constructing,
title = {{Constructing co-assembly derived smart lipid nanoparticles for enhanced antimicrobial potency with plant growth-promoting potential}},
author = {Jia-Rui Rao and Lei Liu and Zhi-Jun Luo and Pan Xu and Chao-Yu Zhao and Tai-Hong Zhang and Jin-Hong Hu and Li-Wei Liu and Zhi-Bing Wu and Xiang Zhou and Song Yang},
journal = {Journal of Nanobiotechnology},
year = {2026},
month = aug,
doi = {10.1186/s12951-026-04885-2},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1186/s12951-026-04885-2},
note = {CC BY-NC-ND 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Constructing co-assembly derived smart lipid nanoparticles for enhanced antimicrobial potency with plant growth-promoting potential
AU - Jia-Rui Rao
AU - Lei Liu
AU - Zhi-Jun Luo
AU - Pan Xu
AU - Chao-Yu Zhao
AU - Tai-Hong Zhang
AU - Jin-Hong Hu
AU - Li-Wei Liu
AU - Zhi-Bing Wu
AU - Xiang Zhou
AU - Song Yang
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/08/07
JO - Journal of Nanobiotechnology
DO - 10.1186/s12951-026-04885-2
UR - https://doi.org/10.1186/s12951-026-04885-2
AB - Lipid nanoparticles (LNP) are widely used in biomedical applications due to their biocompatibility and safety, yet their translation to plant systems remains limited. Here, we establish a unified strategy integrating antibacterial compound discovery, plant-adapted nanocarrier design, and mechanistic elucidation to combat bacterial plant diseases. A series of thymol-derived quaternary ammonium compounds were synthesized, among which C2 was identified as the lead candidate with potent antibacterial activity (EC50 = 0.78 µg/mL). Upon co-assembly into lipid nanoparticles, C2@LNP exhibited pH-responsive release under infection-associated acidic conditions and achieved a high drug-loading efficiency of 82.41%. This plant-tailored LNP system enhances cuticle penetration and foliar retention, as demonstrated by systematic analyses of leaf deposition, droplet behavior, and microscopic adhesion. Consequently, C2@LNP enabled improved disease control at reduced dosages, with protective and curative efficacies 1.94-fold and 1.56-fold higher than those of free C2, respectively. Interestingly, certain lipid components of the nanocarrier, particularly HSPC, exhibited a preliminary plant growth–promoting potential. Mechanistic studies indicated that the enhanced antibacterial performance arises from suppression of quorum sensing, membrane disruption, and induction of apoptosis-like cell death. Overall, this work establishes a sustainable pesticide delivery paradigm for environmentally friendly crop protection. Graphical abstract: Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at https://doi.org/10.1186/s12951-026-04885-2.
SN - 1477-3155
ER -