Albendazole-induced genotoxicity in the larvae of fall armyworm as a safe environmental tool

Abstract Anthelmintic drugs are considered a new alternative strategy to control insect pests. Spodoptera frugiperda, fall armyworm (FAW), is one of the most serious pests of maize and cultivated plants. Albendazole (ABZ) is one of the safest anthelmintic drugs and is used worldwide in human and veterinary medicine. ABZ has not previously been used for controlling FAW, so the present study aimed to investigate the insecticidal and genotoxic effects of ABZ on FAW. ABZ produced a significant effect on the mortality of FAW. Also, drug treatment significantly disrupted the larval, pupal, and adult durations associated with malformations. Because ABZ interferes with microtubule formation, it could induce mortality and affect all physiological processes in FAW. Additionally, it can disrupt the chromosomes' alignment and result in the formation of micronuclei (MN), DNA damage, and cell death, thus causing ABZ-induced genotoxic effects on FAW larval hemocytes. The present study shows that the ABZ drug has a strong insecticidal potency and is a promising environmental safety tool to control the fall armyworm pest. Graphical abstract