AbstractSorption and desorption of ‘Pegosperse’ 100‐O(PEG 100‐O; diethylene glycol monooleate, containing 15 diester) surfactant by unaltered (CM) and dewaxed (DCM) adaxial cuticle membranes isolated from apple (Malus pumilaM.) leaves were studied. The aim of this study was to understand interactions between surfactants and cuticles. Enzymatically isolated cuticles were soaked in buffer or PEG 100‐O solution (pH 7–0). and the weight changes of cuticles were measured to determine the amount of surfactant sorbed or desorbed by the cuticles. For very low surfactant concentrations, sorption was measured by changes in the surface tension of the solutions. PEG 100‐O sorption by both the CMs and the DCMs occurred mainly in the first three hours and was concentration‐dependent. The DCMs always sorbed more surfactant than the CMs. Desorption of PEG 100‐O from both CMs and DCMs was rapid in the first few hours and then decreased to a relatively low rate until the surfactant was totally desorbed from the cuticles after about two months. The sorption and complete desorption of the surfactant by both CMs and DCMs show that PEG 100‐O interacts with both cutins and waxes of the cuticles and the interact
展开▼
