Synthesis and characterization of gibberellin-chitosan conjugate for controlled-release applications

Controlled release formulations (CRFs) are promising in improving the efficiency of pesticide and minimizing the spreading of hazardous residues in environment. By coupling with the pesticide covalently, chitosan can be used as a carrier material for the vulnerable ingredient. For the first time, gibberellic acid (GA3), one of plant growth regulators, was attached to chitosan (CS) to form a GA3-CS conjugate via the formation of an amide bound using 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)carbodiimide and N-hydroxysuccinimide. The novel conjugate was structurally characterized by fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, ultraviolet spectrophotometer, and thermal gravimetric analysis. Effects of pH, temperature, and UV irradiation on the release of this conjugate were investigated. The results showed that the new conjugate had a remarkable modification degree for CS (more than 60%, w/w) and the optimal coupling conditions were defined as: the molar ratio of GA3:EDC/NHS:CS was 1:1.2:1.2, at pH 6.0 for 24 h. The release data showed the novel conjugate protected GA3 against photo- and thermal-degradation effectively and the concentration of GA3 in GA3-CS kept unchangeable about 60 d in different pH conditions. Compared with GA3 technical, the conjugate had better water solubility and stability and have potential applications. The present study also provides a novel preparation method of CRFs comprising a pesticide with long duration, sustained-release performance and good environmental compatibility. This method may be extended to other pesticides that possess a carboxyl group.