Abstract
Though adjuvants are abundant in almost every pesticide solution, their mode of action is still not completely clear. Studies on their way through the cuticle are quite difficult due to a lack of radiolabelled surfactants. In this study we want to present the results of an experiment conducted to evaluate the mode of action of an ethoxylated soybean oil (ESBO) adjuvant. To evaluate the route of ESBO through the cuticle it was labelled with fluorescein and applied to one leaf of different test species (Abutilon theophrasti, Sinapis arvensis and Beta vulgaris). Treated leaves were harvested and rinsed with either deionised water, methanol/water or chloroform. The fluorescein content of washed leaves and the solution in which they were washed were analysed with High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) coupled with an UV detector. Results lead to the assumption that ESBO passed through the cuticle. If this holds true, ESBO was able to reach the underlying cell tissue where it might have been metabolised or even translocated to other plant parts. Though a lot of research has to be conducted on the mechanism and mode of action of adjuvants, this study gives an approach to investigate the behavior of foliar applied adjuvants.
Zusammenfassung
Adjuvantien sind Bestandteile fast aller Pestizidlösungen. Dennoch ist ihre Wirkungsweise bis jetzt noch nicht völlig aufgeklärt. Studien zur Aufklärung des Weges von Adjuvantien durch die Kutikula sind rar, da nur sehr wenige radioaktiv markierte Adjuvantien zur Verfügung stehen.
In der vorliegenden Arbeit werden Ergebnisse eines Experiments zur Evaluierung des Wirkmechanismus eines ethoxylierten Sojabohnenöls (ESBO) vorgestellt. Um den Weg des ESBO durch die Kutikula verfolgen zu können, wurde es mit Fluorescein markiert und auf jeweils ein Blatt verschiedener Testpflanzen appliziert (Abutilon theophrasti, Sinapis arvensis and Beta vulgaris). Die behandelten Blätter wurden geerntet und mit deionisiertem Wasser, Methanol/Wasser oder Chloroform gewaschen. Der Fluorescein-Gehalt der Blätter beziehungsweise der Waschlösungen, in denen die Blätter gewaschen wurden, wurde anschließend mittels Hochleistungs-Flüssigkeits-Chromatographie (HPLC), gekoppelt an einen UV-Detektor, analysiert.
Die Ergebnisse lassen darauf schließen, dass das mit Fluorescein markierte ESBO durch die Kutikula penetrierte. Eine Diffusion in das darunter liegende Zellgewebe wäre somit möglich, was zu einer Metabolisierung oder sogar zu einem Transport in andere Pflanzenteile transportiert führen würde. Auch wenn weiterhin viele Studien zur Aufklärung des Wirkmechanismus von Adjuvantien durchgeführt werden müssen, liefert diese Arbeit einen Ansatz, um das Verhalten von blattapplizierten Adjuvantien aufzuklären.
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Acknowledgments
We thank BASF Personal Care & Nutrition GmbH (Cognis legacy) for the funding of this project. Furthermore, we would like to thank Birgit Höglinger and Jochen Schöne of the Central Chemical- Analytical Laboratory of the University of Hohenheim.
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Heini, J., Ayala, V.R., Walker, F. et al. Uptake Studies on a Fluorescein-Labelled Seed Oil Adjuvant in Abutilon theophrasti, Sinapis arvensis and Beta vulgaris . Gesunde Pflanzen 64, 167–174 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10343-012-0285-y
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10343-012-0285-y