Fig. 1. Nucleophilic poly-Oxime gel to deactivate pesticides to limit toxicity.

(A) Dermal penetration of pesticide (MPT) leads to the inhibition of AChE, which plays a pivotal role in biological functions including neuronal signaling and neuromuscular coordination (NMC). MPT-mediated inhibition of AChE leads to severe toxicity including neuromuscular dysfunction, loss of endurance, and locomotor function. In our approach, the presence of α-nucleophile (an oxime) attached polymer (poly-Oxime) formulated as a topical gel could deactivate organophosphorus ester, MPT, through hydrolysis. This limits MPT penetration into the skin, which leads to the reduction of pesticide-induced toxicity. (B) Synthesis of poly-Oxime using pyridine-2-aldoxime connected to chitosan through acetamide linker. With humectants like glycerin, propylene glycol, and carbopol 940, topical gel was prepared. Two types of topical gels, poly-Oxime–containing active gel and, as a control, unfunctionalized chitosan–containing inactive sham gel, were prepared. rt, room temperature; DMF, N,N′-dimethylformamide.