Organic nanocarriers encapsulating streptomycin for managing citrus greening disease

Introduction: Citrus greening disease, caused by the phloem-limited Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus (CLas), is one of the most destructive diseases of citrus worldwide, with currently no effective management strategies or known resistances [1]. Antibiotics such as streptomycin have been shown to reduce CLas titer in infected citrus trees following trunk injection; however, the uptake and subsequent phloem-loading of these antibiotics in a practical, time-efficient, and widely used manner (i.e., via foliar spraying) has been largely unsuccessful with currently available products.