toxicity-reduction
Toxicity-reduction refers to strategies aimed at minimizing the concentration of toxic compounds in plants through selective breeding, genetic modification, or agronomic management. This is critical for plant science because many crop species naturally accumulate harmful secondary metabolites or environmental contaminants that compromise food safety and nutritional value. By understanding and reducing these toxins, researchers develop plant varieties that are safer for human and livestock consumption while maintaining agricultural viability.
PubMed · 2026-03-24
Researchers developed an eco-friendly composite hydrogel that delivers fungicide more effectively to plant leaves while reducing toxicity by nearly 5-fold compared to commercial formulations. The new system sticks better to leaves, lasts longer, and controls a common fungal disease more effectively than existing treatments.
Optimized composite hydrogel achieved 94.99% encapsulation efficiency and 24.75% loading capacity with a 2:1 sodium alginate to alkali lignin mass ratio
AZO@βASCa hydrogel demonstrated superior long-term antifungal efficacy against Botrytis cinerea compared to commercial azoxystrobin formulation
Acute toxicity reduced by 4.77-fold in zebrafish models compared to commercial fungicide, demonstrating improved environmental safety
