Evaporation Behavior and Characterization of Eutectic Solvent and Ibuprofen Eutectic Solution

Liquid eutectic system of menthol and camphor has been reported as solvent and co-solvent for some drug delivery systems. However, surprisingly, the phase diagram of menthol-camphor eutectic has not been reported previously. The evaporation behavior, physicochemical, and thermal properties of this liquid eutectic and ibuprofen eutectic solution were characterized in this study. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) analysis indicated that a eutectic point of this system was near to 1:1 menthol/camphor and its eutectic temperature was ?1°C. The solubility of ibuprofen in this eutectic was 282.11?±?6.67 mg mL^?1 and increased the drug aqueous solubility fourfold. The shift of wave number from Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) indicated the hydrogen bonding of each compound in eutectic mixture. The weight loss from thermogravimetric analysis of menthol and camphor related to the evaporation and sublimation, respectively. Menthol demonstrated a lower apparent sublimation rate than camphor, and the evaporation rate of eutectic solvent was lower than the sublimation rate of camphor but higher than the evaporation of menthol. The evaporation rate of the ibuprofen eutectic solution was lower than that of the eutectic solvent because ibuprofen did not sublimate. This eutectic solvent prolonged the ibuprofen release with diffusion control. Thus, the beneficial information for thermal behavior and related properties of eutectic solvent comprising menthol-camphor and ibuprofen eutectic solution was attained successfully. The rather low evaporation of eutectic mixture will be beneficial for investigation and tracking the mechanism of transformation from nanoemulsion into nanosuspension in the further study using eutectic as oil phase.     

In situ analysis of anastomosis in representative genera of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) form obligate symbiotic associations with plants. As a result, the role of hyphal interactions in the establishment and maintenance of common mycorrhizal networks is poorly understood because of constraints on methods for in situ analysis. We designed a rhizohyphatron that allows the examination of intact mycelia growing from whole mycorrhizal plants. Plants preinoculated with spores were cultivated in a compartment with a connecting tube from which hyphae extend through a fine nylon mesh onto agar-coated slides. Species selected from each of the five AMF genera were used to assess and characterize the anastomosis behavior in the rhizohyphatron. Hyphal networks of Paraglomus occultum, Ambispora leptoticha, Scutellospora heterogama, and Gigaspora gigantea growing on the agar-coated slides showed no evidence of hyphal fusion. In contrast, anastomosis occurred in the hyphal networks of Glomus clarum and Glomus intraradices at an average frequency of less than 15% for both species. The rhizohyphatron developed in this study will provide knowledge of the biology and genetics of self/non-self recognition in AMF and help to better understand Glomeromycotan life history strategies.     

Parasitism of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi: reviewing the evidence.

In order to understand the functioning of mycorrhizal fungi in ecosystems it is necessary to consider the full suite of possible biotic interactions in the soil. While a number of such interactions have recently been shown to be crucially important, parasitism is a highly neglected feature in the ecology of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF). A number of studies have classified some interactions between populations of bacteria and fungi with AMF as parasitism, generating discussion about its consequences at both 'parasite' and host population levels. This paper reviews these various publications, and based on a set of criteria that are necessary to demonstrate parasitism, it was concluded that parasitism has not been conclusively shown to exist in AMF, even though some data are highly suggestive of such a relationship. The difficulties in gathering data supportive of parasitism were discussed, and hypotheses for defense were offered. This paper concludes by presenting potential consequences of AMF parasitism at the population/community levels and by discussing applied aspects.