Effect of Some Preservative Solutions on Some Morphometric Features of Planiliza abu (Heckel, 1843)

The present study attempts to find out the effect of some fish preservatives in the laboratory, such as alcohol and dilute formalin, on some biological characteristics related to the body measurements of those fish preserved in these materials. The fish used in this study were the local Planiliza abu. The processes of expansion and contraction of the bodies of fish preserved in diluted formalin solution at a concentration of 10% and diluted ethyl alcohol solution at a concentration of 70%. As that the standard length of the specimens of this study, which are separately preserved in formalin 10% and alcohol 70%, in a completely isolated are fluctuating in change. Constant shrinkage in head length in both diluted formalin and alcohol. Most fish bodies preserved in formalin at a concentration of 10% gain significant weight gain, in contrast to alcohol preservation.

IMPACT OF VARIOUS PRESERVATIVE SOLUTIONS ON VASE LIFE AND POST-HARVEST QUALITY OF CUT ROSES

Short vase life and post-harvest losses of cut flowers are major threat to floriculture industry. There are different preservative solutions that have been used to extend the post-harvest life of cut flowers. Hence, this study was executed at Floriculture laboratory of Ayub Agricultural Research Institute, Faisalabad during 2018-2020 to explore the efficacy of different preservative solutions on vase life and post-harvest quality of cut roses. There were 6 treatments viz, (T1= Distilled water, T2= Silver nitrate @ 100 ppm, T3= 8-Hydroxyquiroline citrate @ 100 ppm, T4= Sodium thiosulphate @100 ppm, T5= Sodium benzoate @100 ppm, T6= Sucrose @ 40 g/L) and two rose cultivars Kardinal and Gold medal. The experiment was arranged according to complete randomized design (CRD). Results designated that longest vase life (15 days), maximum soluble solid contents (9.3 Brix) and longest opening period (7.4 days) were acquired with silver nitrate @100 ppm solution while maximum flower size (6.77 cm2) and largest head diameter (8.6 cm) were achieved with sodium thiosulphate when applied at the rate of 100 ppm in cultivar Kardinal. All other chemical solutions also displayed positive effects. Keeping in view the remarkable impact of Silver nitrate on vase life and quality of cut roses, it is recommended for commercial growers and cut flower industry for preservation of cut roses for longer time.

Contact lenses contamination by Acanthamoeba spp. in Upper Egypt

Background Acanthamoeba spp. are one of the free-living amoeba that spread worldwide causing keratitis. Owing to the increase in the use of lenses, whether for medical or cosmetic purposes, the incidence of disease increases every year. Contamination of the lenses with the Acanthamoeba trophozoites or cysts may lead to eye infection and cause sight-threatening keratitis in human. We isolated Acanthamoeba spp. from new lenses, used lenses, and contact lens disinfecting solutions and identified them based on morphological characteristics and molecular test. Methods New and used lenses and contact lens disinfecting solutions were cultured on monogenic media. Light and scanning electron microscope was used to identify Acanthamoeba spp. morphological features. Genotype identification was also evaluated using PCR sequencing of 18S rRNA gene specific primer pair JDP1 and JDP2. Results A hundred samples were examined, 29 (29%) were infected with Acanthamoeba spp. That belonged to two strains of Acanthamoeba (Acanthamoeba 41 and Acanthamoeba 68). 18S rRNA of the Acanthamoeba 41 had 99.69% sequence identity to Acanthamoeba castellanii clone HDU-JUMS-2, whereas Acanthamoeba 68 had 99.74% similar pattern to that of Acanthamoeba sp. isolate T4 clone ac2t4 that are morphologically identified as Acanthamoeba polyphaga. The obtained data revealed that the isolated strains belong to T4 genotype that was evolutionarily similar to strains isolated in Iran. Conclusions Cosmetic lenses and disinfectant solutions are a major transmissible mode for infection. This genotype is common as the cause of Acanthamoeba keratitis. To avoid infection, care must be taken to clean the lenses and their preservative solutions and prevent contamination with the parasite.

Do Eco-Friendly Floral Preservative Solutions Prolong Vase Life Better Than Chemical Solutions?

Cut flowers have become an export income in the global floriculture market. They have multiple uses, such as for home beautification, in ceremonies (including weddings and funerals), and as symbols of love, appreciation, respect, etc., in humane society. Each type of cut flower has a different vase life and the longevity of their freshness is linked to preharvest, harvest, and postharvest tools and conditions. The postharvest quality and vase life must be considered in order to obtain the desirable qualities of cut flowers, and factors that affect this are important in the floral industry. The use of floral preservative solutions is good practice for prolonging the vase life of cut flowers. Currently, the eco-friendly solutions, which are used as floral preservatives for extending cut flower vase life, have been discovered to be a low-cost and organic alternative as compared to chemical solutions. However, there are certain problems associated with the use of chemical and eco-friendly solutions. In this review, we summarize several potential approaches to improve flower vase life and discuss the best choices for holding-preservative-solution practices.

Influence of Solution Combination for Postharvest Treatment Stage on Vase Life of Cut Hydrangea Flowers (Hydrangea macrophylla cv. ‘Verena’)

Vase life is one of the most important factors that determines the marketability of cut flowers and is greatly affected by the water balance. The vase life of cut hydrangea flowers varies greatly depending on the postharvest solution management. Therefore, this study investigated the vase life of freshly harvested hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla ‘Verena’) according to the three types of preservative solutions (tap water (TW), 1% Chrysal Professional Ⅲ (CPⅢ), 2% sucrose + 250 mg/L 8-hydroxquinoline + 100 mg/L citric acid (SHQC)) and the combination solutions (pretreatment; TW, 0.1% Chrysal RVB (RVB), Floralife Quick Dip (FQ), transport; TW, CPⅢ, Floralife Clear (FC), preservative; CPⅢ, FC) for each distribution stage (pretreatment–transport–consumer). In the preservative comparison experiment, compared with the control, SHQC and CPⅢ significantly increased the vase life in 2019 (0.7 days, 3.4 days) and 2020 (1.4 days, 3.1 days), respectively. In the comparative experiment, by solution combination, the group (RVB, FQ) using the pretreatment significantly extended the vase life by 5.9 days and 4.6 days compared with the TW. These results confirm the importance of preservative solutions and pretreatment, suggesting that appropriate pretreatment and preservatives should be used to improve the marketability of cut hydrangea flowers.

Characterizing the Effect of Processing Technique and Solution Type on Cytomorphology Using Liquid-Based Cytology

<b><i>Introduction:</i></b> Liquid-based cytology (LBC) is increasingly used for nongynecologic applications. However, the cytological preparation of LBC specimens is influenced by the processing technique and the preservative used. In this study, the influence of the processing techniques and preservatives on cell morphology was examined mathematically and statistically. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> Cytological specimens were prepared using the ThinPrep (TP), SurePath (SP), and AutoSmear methods, with 5 different preservative solutions. The cytoplasmic and nuclear areas of Papanicolaou-stained specimens were measured for all samples. <b><i>Results:</i></b> The cytoplasmic and nuclear areas were smaller in cells prepared using the 2 LBC methods, compared to that prepared using the AutoSmear method, irrespective of the preservative used. The cytoplasmic and nuclear areas of cells prepared using the SP method were smaller than those of cells prepared using the TP method, irrespective of the preservative used. There were fewer differences among the cytoplasmic areas of cells prepared with different preservative solutions using the TP method; however, the cytoplasmic areas of cells prepared using the SP method changed with the preservative solution used. <b><i>Conclusions:</i></b> The most significant difference affecting the cytoplasmic and nuclear areas was the processing technique. The TP method increased the cytoplasmic and nuclear areas, while the methanol-based PreservCyt solution enabled the highest enlargement of the cell. LBC is a superior preparation technique for standardization of the specimens. Our results offer a better understanding of methods suitable for specimen preparation for developing precision AI-based diagnosis in cytology.

Preservative solutions on vase life and quality of cut Polianthes tuberosa L.

ABSTRACT This experiment was conducted to study the effectiveness of different preservative solutions on vase life and quality of angelica cut inflorescences cv. Single. The concentrations of citric acid at 100, 200 and 300 mg L-1, sucrose at 3% and 4% and H2O2 at 0.1%, 0.2% and 0.3% were used as preservatives, while distilled water was used as control. The single factor experiment was laid out in a completely randomized design (CRD) with three replications. Citric acid and H2O2 solutions effectively inhibited bacterial growth-related blockage in the vascular tissues, but had adverse effects on the vase life. The inflorescences stored in sucrose (3% and 4%) solutions remained fresh up to 10 days after preservation (DAP), maintaining good solution uptake, controlling transpiration loss and gaining higher relative fresh weight. Different quality parameters like floret diameter and number of opened florets were also significantly higher in inflorescences preserved in sucrose (3% and 4%) solution, followed by control, citric acid and H2O2, respectively, in different DAP. Overall, the inflorescence of cut tuberose preserved in sucrose, particularly at 4% solutions, showed better postharvest quality than other preservatives and maximum vase life.

The Use of Catalytic Amounts of Selected Cationic Surfactants in the Design of New Synergistic Preservative Solutions

Preservation using combinations of antibacterial molecules has several advantages, such as reducing the level of usage and broadening their antimicrobial spectrum. More specifically, the use of quaternary ammonium surfactants (QAS)—which are profusely used in hair care products and some are known as efficient antimicrobial agents—is limited due to some potential cytotoxicity concerns. This study shows that the concentration of some widely used cosmetic preservatives can be decreased when combined with very small quantities of QAS, i.e., Polyquaternium-80 (P-80) and/or Didecyldimethylammonium chloride (DDAC). The antimicrobial activity of their mixtures was first evaluated by determining the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) before and after the addition of QAS. Following up on this finding and targeting an ultimate consumer friendly antimicrobial blend, yet with optimal safety, we chose to utilize the food-grade preservative Maltol as the main natural origin antimicrobial agent mixed with minimum concentrations of QAS to improve its moderate antimicrobial properties. The preservatives were tested for MIC values, challenge tests and synergy using the fractional inhibitory concentration index (FICI). The antimicrobial efficacy of Maltol was found to be synergistically improved by introducing catalytic amounts of P-80 and/or DDAC.