Lignin nanocapsules for delivering natural antimicrobial agents

The application of nanosystems to plants has prompted the quest for green raw materials. Concomitantly, natural molecules acting against pathogenic micro-organisms have become increasingly popular as an alternative to synthetic products. Here we propose lignin nanoparticles for the controlled release of capsaicin, which possess renown bactericidal activity and is a promising molecule for both pharmaceutic and agricultural purposes. The stability of capsaicin loaded nanoparticles critically depends on their nanoscale properties and therefore, together with standard structural methods (e.g. DLS and SEM), high resolution techniques are fundamental to reach full knowledge of these systems. In particular, SAXS is a powerful tool to solve the structure of nanosystems over a wide range of length scales and to study the response to stimuli such as pH or temperature changes.The present subject has wide application, from the treatment of large-scale cultivations to the survival of rare plants