Green Synthesis of Silver Nanoparticles from Hyperpigmented Tomato Skins and Preliminary Evaluation of the Insecticidal Activity

With a view to sustainable production and circular economy, the recovery of biomass otherwise destined for disposal will be a strategic objective in the near future. Yearly, the tomato industry produces hundreds of thousands of tons of waste, which could be usefully applied in various sectors. This work proposes the use of the skins of a hyperpigmented (black-skinned) tomato line for the stabilization of silver nanoparticles. Aqueous extracts produced from this residue have proven to be suitable for producing silver nanoparticles with an average diameter of 22.4 nm. Subsequently AgNPs were tested for in vitro cowpea weevil (Callosobruchus maculatus) control. At a concentration of 20% they proved capable of inducing 52% mortality on adults of the insect. To our knowledge, this is the first case where the tomato peels were used to synthesize Ag-nanoparticles.
Proceedings of the 28th European Biomass Conference and Exhibition, 6-9 July 2020, Virtual, pp. 656-659