An oxygen electrode assay to determine autoclaved-induced toxicity in tissue culture media

An oxygen electrode was used to assay cyanide-induced oxygen consumption of 8 sugars following autoclaving and the results correlated with the effects of the same sugars (reported by de Lange, S. Afr. J. Bol. 55, 1, 1989) on pollen germination and pollen tube growth. Of the sugars tested, fructose was the least stable, producing a degradation product that resulted in a 40-fold higher consumption of oxygen than sucrose. The use of cyanide-induced oxygen uptake makes it possible to control more carefully the conditions of preparation of sterile media by autoclaving.