ROLE OF VENTILATION, CALCIUM AND BORON ON SHOOT TIP NECROSIS AND HYPERHYDRICITY REDUCTION OF IN VITRO ROORSTOOCKS OF PISTACIO ‘BADAMI’ ȘI ‘UCB1’

Shoot tip necrosis (STN) is one of the main physiological disorders in the micropropagation of pistachios. In the current study, the effects of CaNO3.4H2O at 196 mg/L and 291 mg/L, H3BO3 at 196 mg/L and 291 mg/L, and CaCl2.2H2O at 2,980 mg/L on STN and hyperhydricity reduction of Pistacia vera L., ‘Badami’ and ‘UCB1’ rootstocks were assessed, compared to the MS standard medium containing 3% sucrose, 0.7% agar supplemented with benzyladenine (BA) (1.5 mg/L), indole butyric acid (IBA) (0.1 mg/L). For ventilation parameter, filter container vessels with a 50-µm microporous polypropylene membrane (Pardis®) were used. Based on the results, an increase in calcium chloride content of the MS standard medium prevented hyperhydricity in the UCB1 rootstock, whereas it increased STN, yellow leaves, decreasing the multiplication of shoots in the ‘Badami’ rootstock. The results also showed that increasing boric acid from 196 mg/L up to 291 mg/L decreased STN in the UCB1 rootstock and increased this disorder by 37% in the ‘Badami’ rootstock. Ventilation showed no significantly reducing effect on the percentage of STN in the regenerated shoots of the ‘Badami’ rootstock, whilst it decreased the STN of the ‘UCB1’ rootstock to the lowest percentage. For the ‘Badami’ rootstock, CaNO3.4H2O at 196 mg/L led to the highest proliferation rate, shoot height, shoot diameter, and leaf number, but for the ‘UCB1’ rootstock, an increase in the concentration of CaNO3.4H2O up to 291 mg/L under ventilated conditions resulted in an increase in proliferation, shoot height, and shoot diameter.

Efficacy of Combined Rifampicin Formulations Delivered by the Pulmonary Route to Treat Tuberculosis in the Guinea Pig Model

Liposomes, as vehicles alone or in combination with rifampicin (RIF) microparticles (RMs), were evaluated as vehicles to enhance the permeation of RIF into granulomas. RIF liposomes (RLs) were extruded through a 0.1 µm polypropylene membrane. RMs were prepared by the solvent evaporation method. Four weeks after infection, guinea pigs (GPs) were assigned to groups treated with a combination of RM-RLs or RLs alone. RLs were nebulized after extrusion whereas RMs were suspended in saline and nebulized to GPs in a nose-only inhalation chamber. Necropsy was performed after the treatment; the lungs and spleen were resected for bacteriology. RLs had mean diameters of 137.1 ± 33.7 nm whereas RMs had a projected area diameter of 2.48 µm. The volume diameter of RMs was 64 ± 1 µm, indicating that RMs were aggregated. The treatment of TB-infected GPs with RLs significantly reduced their lung bacterial burden and wet spleen weight compared with those treated with blank liposomes. The treatment of TB-infected animals with RM-RLs also reduced their lung bacterial burden and wet spleen weight even though these reductions were not statistically different. Based on these results, the permeation of RIF into granulomas appears to be enhanced when encapsulated into liposomes delivered by the pulmonary route.