Supporting information

The supporting information include:

Figure SI1: Optimal amount determination of ingredients (chitosan, pectin, TPP and paraquat) for nanoparticle
formation.

Figure SI2: The evaluation of pH parameters duration 0-60 days.

Figure SI3: Analysis of the samples using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR).

Figure SI4: Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) thermograms.

Figure SI5: Soil sorption of paraquat.

Table SI 1: Toxicity of NPs, PQ, NP:PQ and commercial PQ on cell line (Adenocarcinomic human alveolar basal
epithelial cells (A549).
Table SI 2: Toxicity of NPs, PQ, NP:PQ and commercial PQ on cell line (Carcinoma of the mouth cells (KB).
Figure SI 1. Optimal amount determination of ingredients (chitosan, pectin, TPP and paraquat) for nanoparticle
formation. In constant concentrations of other parameters, the optimal encapsulation efficiencies were achieved by
0.04%, 0.08% and 0.01% of chitosan, pectin and TPP, respectively. In the optimal amounts of other components, the
most encapsulation efficiency was seen in paraquat amount of 5 mg.
Figure SI 2. The pH of unloaded PEC/CS/TPP nanoparticles (NPs) or nanoparticles containing paraquat (NP:PQ) as
a function of time (0-60 days), at 25◦C.
Figure SI 3. Analysis of the samples using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR): (a) TPP, (b) Pectin, (c)
nanoparticles without paraquat (NPs), (d) nanoparticles containing paraquat (NP:PQ), (e) Chitosan, and (f) Paraquat.
The numbers indicate the wavenumbers of the main groups present in the components of the samples.
Figure SI 4. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) thermograms of derivatives of residual weight for chitosan
(CS), pectin (PEC) and tripoly phosphate (TPP) under nitrogen degradation.
Figure SI 5. Soil sorption of paraquat, NP:PQ, PQ and Commercial PQ, at 25◦C and pH 4.5 (n = 3). Application of the pseudo-
second order mathematical model (Aa-Cc) where qt is amount of soluted sorbate at any time t (mg/g).
 Table SI 1. Toxicity of NPs, PQ, NP:PQ and commercial PQ on cell line (Adenocarcinomic human alveolar basal epithelial cells
(A549).

Adenocarcinomic human alveolar basal epithelial cells (A549)

Concentration Groups SEM P-Value
(μg/ml) NPs NP:PQ PQ Commercial paraquat
3.75 6.6129±3.07 21.26±6.85 11.17±6.57 14.59±11.53 2.47 0.198
7.25 14.5656±14.55b 22.07±10.70 b 50.22±13.65 a 14.64±6.24b 5.28 0.017
15.5 21.8541±11.43 22.51±16.76 42.08±8.75 23.76±9.04 3.88 0.194
31.25 35.4255±7.29ab 29.20±22.77 ab 64.83±6.82a 23.69±18.37b 6.11 0.046
62.5 23.7668±11.13b 27.06±13.93 b 73.05±6.54a 37.41±7.35b 6.40 0.001
125 18.72±8.76b 19.48±11.45b 74.48±7.52a 31.13±7.82b 7.22 <0.0001
250 18.57±5.90c 48.64±7.60b 70.74±5.16a 50.09±13.42b 6.00 0.001
500 50.84±7.50c 67.31±4.08 c 85.78±3.58a 83.77±3.28a 4.42 <0.0001
IC50 603.14 315.35 9.59 227.97 - -
a,b :
different superscript letters within a row means difference between groups. Similar superscript letters within a
row means not significant difference between groups. P< 0.05

Table SI 2. Toxicity of NPs, PQ, NP:PQ and commercial PQ on cell line (Carcinoma of the mouth cells (KB).

Carcinoma of the mouth cells (KB)

Concentration Groups SEM P-Value
(μg/ml) NPs NP:PQ PQ Commercial paraquat
3.75 33.33±2.51ab 8.66±9.86b 34.00±9.53ab 56.66±20.30a 5.95 0.010
7.25 36.00±7.93ab 13.33±11.01 b 34.00±9.53ab 56.66±17.21a 5.48 0.015
15.5 26.00±15.00 28.66±12.50 41.66±4.04 51.00±21.79 4.74 0.213
31.25 38.66±3.51 31.66±8.96 47.33±17.47 59.33±16.92 4.47 0.134
62.5 41.33±10.50 27.00±4.00 45.66±11.84 57.33±15.69 4.29 0.063
125 51.00±13.52 50.00±8.00 61.33±2.08 66.66±6.11 2.97 0.114
250 43.00±11.00 51.00±18.08 67.00±5.56 64.66±5.68 4.07 0.092
500 63.00±3.60 74.33±10.69 81.00±10.14 84.00±5.29 3.13 0.051
IC50 271.95 249.3 107.59 57.77 - -
a,b :
different superscript letters within a row means difference between groups. Similar superscript letters within a
row means not significant difference between groups. P< 0.05