Minimally processed crude leaf extracts of Nicotiana benthamiana containing recombinant foot and mouth disease virus-like particles are immunogenic in mice.

•Agroinfiltration-mediated transient expression system for the production of recombinant FMD VLPs was evaluated.•The recombinant capsid proteins expressed in Nicotiana benthamiana leaves proved to self-assemble into VLPs.•VLPs in the crude extract without purification elicited an immune response as strong as the purified VLPs.