Biological agents, such as peptides and nucleic acids (siRNA or dsRNA), are becoming increasingly employed in both the therapeutic and agrochemical industries as alternatives to synthetic chemicals. These agents have a number of advantages, including their specificity for a target, ease of registration and low human toxicity.1 Chemical pesticides are currently the most common method of crop protection, but have a number of drawbacks including their toxicity and effects on non-target species.2 Therefore, there is an ever-shifting move to the use of more eco-friendly biological control measures; however, these also have negative attributes.
Bio-control agents are often unstable3 and, upon ingestion, are subjected to degradation by hydrolytic enzymes and conditions favouring acid hydrolysis. As a result, these water soluble agents must be protected by encapsulation in a water continuous phase. This provides a protective shell, ensuring their stability during delivery and giving the ability to control and trigger release, which facilitates a more efficient use.
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