Polyethylene Glycol Concentration Research Articles

Development of single layer osmotic controlled release tablet for low soluble drug: Single Core Osmotic Pump (SCOP)

A novel Single Core Osmotic Pump (SCOP) pill has been created to administer high doses of the low solubility medication Rifaximin using osmosis. The formulations were evaluated using six comparative parameters: Q24 (total release after 24 hours), Q12 (total release after 12 hours), TL (lag time), RSQzero12 (R square of the zero-order equation for drug release in 12 hours), RR12 (in vitro release rate for 12 hours), and T80% (time required to deliver 80% of the drug). The drug release profile from osmotic devices shows that the choice of polymer and its concentration in the core formulation can significantly impact the release of the drug. Augmenting the osmogent quantity to an optimal level resulted in a substantial enhancement of Q12 and a notable improvement in the zero-order release pattern of rifaximin. In order to improve the bioavailability of the core formulation, an additive called citric acid was included. Citric acid has several properties that contribute to this enhancement, such as increased solubility of the active ingredient, the creation of a difference in osmotic pressure, regulation of the flow of the active ingredient, and making the composition containing the active ingredient more water-loving. Consequently, TL and T80% experienced a decline, whereas Q12 and RR12 saw a rise. The concentration of PEG 4000 in the semipermeable membrane of the SCOP was found to have a significant impact on TL, T80%, Q12, Q24, and RR12. Specifically, increasing the concentration of PEG 4000 led to a decrease in TL and T80%, while increasing Q12, Q24, and RR12. The optimal aperture diameter for achieving a zero-order release pattern was found to be 850 μm. This study also demonstrated that optimizing the thickness of SPM is crucial for achieving zero order kinetics. The invented SCOP technology has the potential to create a single layer osmotic controlled release tablet of a water insoluble medication with a high dosage.

Characterization of cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) resistant to drought stress as a result of selection using PEG 6000

Cassava is a source of carbohydrates that grows in tropical areas. The largest cassava producing province in Indonesia is Lampung, and Central Lampung Regency is the main cassava production center in Lampung Province. Plant responses in response to drought vary, such as plants wilting, stomata closing, and chlorophyll content decreasing. The drought stress inducer used in this research was polyethylene glycol. Drought-sensitive cassava will show reduced growth, while tolerant plants will obtain new genotypes that are resistant to drought stress conditions. The aim of this research was to determine the drought tolerant concentration of PEG 6000; distinguish between chlorophyll a, b, and total; and determine the differences in stomata density and stress tolerance index in cassava treated with PEG 6000 and the control. The PEG 6000 treatment consisted of 5 concentration levels, namely 0%, 10%, 20%, 30%, and 40% with each treatment repeated 5 times. The tolerable concentration of PEG 6000 is 40%. The higher the concentration of PEG 6000, the lower the chlorophyll a, b and total content. As the concentration of PEG 6000 increases, the stomata density increases. The stress tolerance index of cassava is categorized into medium tolerant at concentrations of 10% and 20%, and tolerant at concentrations of 30% and 40%.

PEG-crosslinked O-carboxymethyl chitosan films with degradability and antibacterial activity for food packaging

This study developed a kind of PEG-crosslinked O-carboxymethyl chitosan (O-CMC–PEG) with various PEG content for food packaging. The crosslinking agent of isocyanate-terminated PEG was firstly synthesized by a simple condensation reaction between PEG and excess diisocyanate, then the crosslink between O-carboxymethyl chitosan (O-CMC) and crosslinking agent occurred under mild conditions to produce O-CMC–PEG with a crosslinked structure linked by urea bonds. FT-IR and 1H NMR techniques were utilized to confirm the chemical structures of the crosslinking agent and O-CMC–PEGs. Extensive research was conducted to investigate the impact of the PEG content (or crosslinking degree) on the physicochemical characteristics of the casted O-CMC–PEG films. The results illuminated that crosslinking and components compatibility could improve their tensile features and water vapor barrier performance, while high PEG content played the inverse effects due to the microphase separation between PEG and O-CMC segments. The in vitro degradation rate and water sensitivity primarily depended on the crosslinking degree in comparison with the PEG content. Furthermore, caused by the remaining –NH2 groups of O-CMC, the films demonstrated antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. When the PEG content was 6% (medium crosslinking degree), the prepared O-CMC–PEG−6% film possessed optimal tensile features, high water resistance, appropriate degradation rate, low water vapor transmission rate and fine broad-spectrum antibacterial capacity, manifesting a great potential for application in food packaging to extend the shelf life.

Restoration of the soil fertility under Cr(VI) and artificial drought condition by the utilization of plant growth-promoting Bacillus spp. SSAU2.

The study explores the potential of an indigenous halo-tolerant microbe identified as Bacillus spp. SSAU-2 in enhancing soil fertility and promoting plant growth for sustainable agricultural practices under the influence of multiple abiotic stresses such as Cr(VI), high salinity, and artificial drought condition. The study investigated various factors influencing IAA synthesis by SSAU-2, such as pH (5 to 11), salinity (10 to 50g/L), tryptophan concentration (0.5 to 1%), carbon (mannitol mand lactose), and nitrogen sources (peptone and tryptone). The highest IAA concentration was observed at pH 10 (1.695mg/ml) and pH 11 (0.782mg/ml). IAA synthesis was optimized at a salinity level of 30g/l, with lower and higher salinity levels resulting in decreased IAA concentrations. Notably, the presence of mannitol and lactose significantly augmented IAA synthesis, while glucose and sucrose had inhibitory effects. Furthermore, peptone and tryptone played a pivotal role in enhancing IAA synthesis, while ammonium chloride exerted an inhibitory influence. SSAU-2 showed a diverse array of capabilities, including the synthesis of gibberellins, extracellular polymeric substances, siderophores, and hydrogen cyanide along with nitrogen fixation and ammonia production. The microbe could efficiently tolerate 45% PEG-6000 concentration and effectively produce IAA in 15% PEG concentration. It could also tolerate high concentration of Cr(VI) and synthesize IAA even in 50ppm Cr(VI). The findings of this study provide valuable insights into harnessing the potential of indigenous microorganisms to promote plant growth, enhance soil fertility, and establish sustainable agricultural practices essential for restoring the health of ecosystems.

Seed osmopriming with polyethylene glycol (PEG) enhances seed germination and seedling physiological traits of Coronilla varia L. under water stress.

Water stress can adversely affect seed germination and plant growth. Seed osmopriming is a pre-sowing treatment in which seeds are soaked in osmotic solutions to undergo the first stage of germination prior to radicle protrusion. Seed osmopriming enhances germination performance under stressful environmental conditions, making it an effective method to improve plant resistance and yield. This study analyzed the effect of seed osmopriming with polyethylene glycol (PEG) on seed germination and physiological parameters of Coronilla varia L. Priming treatments using 10% to 30% PEG enhanced germination percentage, germination vigor, germination index, vitality index, and seedling mass and reduced the time to reach 50% germination (T50). The PEG concentration that led to better results was 10%. The content of soluble proteins (SP), proline (Pro), soluble sugars (SS), and malondialdehyde (MDA) in Coronilla varia L. seedlings increased with the severity of water stress. In addition, under water stress, electrolyte leakage rose, and peroxidase (POD) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities intensified, while catalase (CAT) activity increased at mild-to-moderate water stress but declined with more severe deficiency. The 10% PEG priming significantly improved germination percentage, germination vigor, germination index, vitality index, and time to 50% germination (T50) under water stress. Across the water stress gradient here tested (8 to 12% PEG), seed priming enhanced SP content, Pro content, and SOD activity in Coronilla varia L. seedlings compared to the unprimed treatments. Under 10% PEG-induced water stress, primed seedlings displayed a significantly lower MDA content and electrolyte leakage than their unprimed counterparts and exhibited significantly higher CAT and POD activities. However, under 12% PEG-induced water stress, differences in electrolyte leakage, CAT activity, and POD activity between primed and unprimed treatments were not significant. These findings suggest that PEG priming enhances the osmotic regulation and antioxidant capacity of Coronilla varia seedlings, facilitating seed germination and seedling growth and alleviating drought stress damage, albeit with reduced efficacy under severe water deficiency.

Phase behaviour and thermodynamics of triton X-100 + metformin hydrochloride mixture: influences of several polyols and polymer media

The applications of surfactants and drugs in a wide variety of fields such as pharmaceuticals, food industry, textile, fabrics, etc. are increasing significantly. Herein, we investigated the clouding behavior and thermodynamics of triton X-100 (TX-100) and metformin hydrochloride (MNH) drug mixture in the effect of several polyols and polyethylene glycol (PEG) polymer. The phase separation behavior of the mixture of TX-100 + MNH has been deduced with the help of the cloud point technique. The cloud point (CP) values for the TX-100 and drug mixtures were documented in a decreased and increased manner with the augmentation of the concentration of polyol and PEG respectively. With the subsequent enhancement of polyol and PEG content, the CP values were recorded in the following order: C P H 2 O + PEG > C P H 2 O + fructose > C P H 2 O + glucose > C P H 2 O + galactose > C P H 2 O + maltose . The standard enthalpy change ( Δ H c o ) and entropy change ( Δ S c o ), of TX-100 + MNH mixture in aq. polyols solutions were documented as negative; the negative values reduce in magnitudes with the polyols contents and become positive at the highest polyol content while opposite trend was obtained in presence of PEG. The presence of electrostatic and hydrophobic interactions among TX-100/MNH/polyols/polymer has been recommended as the interaction forces.

The role of PEG/glycerol ratio on the structure and corrosion protection properties of PU-silica coating

In this work, investigation was made of the effect of incorporation of polyethylene glycol (PEG) in glycerol-based PU-silica coatings, with the aim of enhance thermal, mechanical, and corrosion protection properties, and establish a comprehensive knowledge regarding the synthesis of novel hybrid PU coatings with variable PEG/glycerol molar ratio. Nuclear magnetic resonance (13C NMR) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy analyses showed the conjugation of the PEG to the PU structure by urethane bonds, with the samples prepared using a higher amount of PEG presenting a less rigid structural conformation. Small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) measurements demonstrated a correlation between the inorganic fractal dimensionality and the PEG amount. The increasing PEG content contributes to improve thermal stability, coating roughness, and scratch hardness, that achieves typical values of 230 °C, 115 nm and 6H, respectively. As an anticorrosive barrier for steel, the 1.5 μm thickness coating prepared with 75 % glycerol and 25 % PEG exhibits an impedance modulus exceeding 10 GΩ.cm2 over 28 days in contact with saline solution. This new PEG/glycerol-based PU-silica coating proves highly suitable functional features for anticorrosive applications, offering commendable thermal stability, low thickness, high scratch resistance, and impressive impedance.

EFFECT OF DIFFERENT LEVELS OF SALT AND DROUGHT STRESSES ON GENE EXPRESSION OF TWO TOLERANCE-DIFFERENT TOMATO CULTIVARS IN VITRO

A lab experiment was conducted at the Plant Tissue Culture Lab / College of Agricultural Engineering Sciences / University of Baghdad. This experiment was aimed to investigate gene expression index in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) after preparation of salt and simulated drought stresses. Two tomato cultivars were selected which claimed to exhibit different levels of tolerance toward abiotic stresses designated as salt-tolerant Yassamine (Y) and salt-sensitive GS12 (G) to assess the test. Seven day-old seedlings from both cultivars were grown in MS media supplemented with four concentrations of NaCl at 0, 50, 100 and 150 mM and four concentrations of PEG at 0, 10, 20, and 30% for 48 hours. The results were showed that Y cultivar exhibited more proline secretion and chlorophyll content when compared with G. In addition, Y cultivar showed less ion leakage and less affected by elevated abiotic stresses in term of seedling weight variation when compared to G counterparts. The SDS-PAGE gel analysis showed that Y cultivar showed more band intensity when compared with G suggested more corresponding gene expression of tolerant protein against abiotic stresses.

Appropriate Drought Training Induces Optimal Drought Tolerance by Inducing Stepwise H2O2 Homeostasis in Soybean.

Soybean is considered one of the most drought-sensitive crops, and ROS homeostasis can regulate drought tolerance in these plants. Understanding the mechanism of H2O2 homeostasis and its regulatory effect on drought stress is important for improving drought tolerance in soybean. We used different concentrations of polyethylene glycol (PEG) solutions to simulate the progression from weak drought stress (0.2%, 0.5%, and 1% PEG) to strong drought stress (5% PEG). We investigated the responses of the soybean plant phenotype, ROS level, injury severity, antioxidant system, etc., to different weak drought stresses and subsequent strong drought stresses. The results show that drought-treated plants accumulated H2O2 for signaling and exhibited drought tolerance under the following stronger drought stress, among which the 0.5% PEG treatment had the greatest effect. Under the optimal treatment, there was qualitatively describable H2O2 homeostasis, characterized by a consistent increasing amplitude in H2O2 content compared with CK. The H2O2 signal formed under the optimum treatment induced the capacity of the antioxidant system to remove excess H2O2 to form a primary H2O2 homeostasis. The primary H2O2 homeostasis further induced senior H2O2 homeostasis under the following strong drought and maximized the improvement of drought tolerance. These findings might suggest that gradual drought training could result in stepwise H2O2 homeostasis to continuously improve drought tolerance.

Tuning physicomechanical properties of PEG-interpenetrated anionically modified semi-IPN cryogels functionalized with carboxylate groups

Anionically modified interpenetrated polymer network (semi-IPN) cryogels containing linear polyethylene glycol chains (PEG) were prepared via in situ synthesis and directed assembly of the negatively charged copolymer poly(acrylamide-co-sodium acrylate) (PAN) network template. The influence of reaction conditions; the concentration of linear PEG chains, and polymerization temperature on the elasticity and swelling of these IPNs was analyzed in detail. The interpenetrating structure of PEG chains and PAN host network have been confirmed by FTIR, TGA and XRD analysis. The equilibrium water content, oscillatory swelling/deswelling kinetics, and water transport mechanism were analyzed as a function of PEG content. The results showed that semi-IPN gels exhibited different swelling behavior as the reaction conditions varied. Addition of 13.9% (w/v) PEG resulted in a 25-fold increase in the swelling ratio of semi-IPN hydrogels. By performing compression tests on semi-IPN gels to determine the change of compression properties, the effective cross-linking density of semi-IPN PAN/PEG was expressed as a second-order polynomial depending on the amount of PEG. The swollen modulus of semi-IPN cryogels was much higher than that of semi-IPN hydrogels for all PEG concentrations. Semi-IPNs showed reversible on-off switching with remarkable sensitivity to external pH stimulus. Structural parameters, degree of swelling, volume fraction of cross-linked polymer in the swollen state, and diffusion coefficients due to pH-induced swelling of semi-IPN gels were determined. The presence of linear PEG chains in the structure promoted swelling by both increasing the swelling rate and significantly reducing the time required to reach the equilibrium-state. The swelling process was Fickian diffusion, and the diffusion coefficients for swelling of PEG-interpenetrated semi-IPNs increased with PEG content. The effectiveness of removing methylene blue (MB) dye from aqueous solutions by semi-IPNs was evaluated. Batch adsorption experiments were performed as a function of the gelation temperature, amount of PEG, contact time, and initial dye concentration. The adsorption isotherm and kinetics were described well by Langmuir isotherm model and pseudo-second-order model, respectively. Adsorption of MB was a multi-step process involving surface adsorption followed by intra-particle diffusion. Semi-IPN PAN/PEG cryogels prepared under cryocondition with high adsorption capacities and fast adsorption rates have been developed as new adsorbents effective in removing dyes and other toxic substances with higher mechanical strength in water and wastewater treatment.

Isopropanol-promoted DNA extraction by polydopamine functionalized magnetic particles based on metal coordination

High-quality DNA is an important guarantee to start downstream experiments in many biological and medical research areas. Magnetic particle-based DNA extraction methods from blood mainly depend on electrostatic adsorption in a low-pH environment. However, the strong acidic environment can influence the DNA stability. Herein, a polydopamine-functionalized magnetic particle (PDA@Fe3O4)-based protocol was developed for DNA extraction from whole blood samples. In the protocol, Mg2+ and Ca2+ were utilized to bridge the adsorption of DNA by PDA@Fe3O4 via the metal-mediated coordination. Isopropanol was found to efficiently promote DNA adsorption by triggering the change of the conformation of DNA from B-form to more compact A-form. In 50 % isopropanol solution, the DNA adsorption efficiency was nearly 100 % in the presence of 0.5 mM Ca2+ or 1.5 mM Mg2+. The role of metal ions and isopropanol in DNA adsorption was explored. The protocol averts the strong acidic environment and PCR inhibitors, such as high concentrations of salt or polyethylene glycol. It demonstrates superiority in DNA yield (59.13 ± 3.63 ng μL−1) over the commercial kit (27.33 ± 4.98 ng μL−1) and phenol-chloroform methods (37.90 ± 0.47 ng μL−1). In addition, to simplify the operastion, an automated nucleic acid extraction device was designed and fabricated to extract whole genomic DNA from blood. The feasibility of the device was verified by extracting DNA from cattle and pig blood samples. The extracted DNA was successfully applied to discriminate the beef authenticity by a duplex PCR system. The results demonstrate that the DNA extraction protocol and the automated device have great potential in blood samples.

The Quest for Reliable Drought Stress Screening in Tetraploid Wheat (Triticum turgidum spp.) Seedlings: Why MDA Quantification after Treatment with 10% PEG-6000 Falls Short.

Drought stress poses significant productivity challenges to wheat. Several studies suggest that lower malondialdehyde (MDA) content may be a promising trait to identify drought-tolerant wheat genotypes. However, the optimal polyethylene glycol (PEG-6000) concentration for screening seedlings for drought tolerance based on MDA quantification is not clear. The aim of this study was to verify whether a 10% (w/v) PEG-6000 concentration-induced water stress was reliable for discriminating between twenty-two drought-susceptible and drought-tolerant tetraploid wheat (Triticum turgidum spp. durum, turanicum, and carthlicum) accessions based on MDA quantification. To do so, its correlation with morpho-physiological traits, notoriously related to seedling drought tolerance, i.e., Seedling Vigour Index and Seedling Water Content, was evaluated. Results showed that MDA content was not a reliable biomarker for drought tolerance, as it did not correlate significantly with the aforementioned morpho-physiological traits, which showed, on the contrary, high positive correlation with each other. Combining our study with the cited literature, it clearly emerges that different wheat genotypes have different "water stress thresholds", highlighting that using a 10% PEG-6000 concentration for screening wheat seedlings for drought tolerance based on MDA quantification is not reliable. Given the conflicting results in the literature, this study provides important insights for selecting appropriate methods for evaluating wheat seedling drought tolerance.

Exploring Mechanisms of Lipid Nanoparticle-Mucus Interactions in Healthy and Cystic Fibrosis Conditions.

Mucus forms the first defense line of human lungs, and as such hampers the efficient delivery of therapeutics to the underlying epithelium. This holds particularly true for genetic cargo such as CRISPR-based gene editing tools which cannot readily surmount the mucosal barrier. While lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) emerge as versatile non-viral gene delivery systems that can help overcome the delivery challenge, many knowledge gaps remain, especially for diseased states such as cystic fibrosis (CF). This study provides fundamental insights into Cas9 mRNA or ribonucleoprotein-loaded LNP-mucus interactions in healthy and diseased states by assessing the impact of the genetic cargo, mucin sialylation, mucin concentration, ionic strength, pH, and polyethylene glycol (PEG) concentration and nature on LNP diffusivity leveraging experimental approaches and Brownian dynamics (BD) simulations. Taken together, this study identifies key mucus and LNP characteristics that are critical to enabling a rational LNP design for transmucosal delivery.

Effect of Poly(ethylene glycol) Configuration on Microbubble Pharmacokinetics.

Microbubbles (MBs) hold substantial promise for medical imaging and therapy; nonetheless, knowledge gaps persist between composition, structure, and in vivo performance, especially with respect to pharmacokinetics. Of particular interest is the role of the poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) layer, which is thought to shield the MB against opsonization and rapid clearance but is also known to cause an antibody response upon multiple injections. The goal of this study was, therefore, to elucidate the role of the PEG layer in circulation persistence of MBs in the naïve animal (prior to an adaptive immune response). Here, we directly observe the number and size of individual MBs obtained from blood samples, unifying size and concentration into the microbubble volume dose (MVD) parameter. This approach enables direct evaluation of the pharmacokinetics of intact MBs, comprising both the lipid shell and gaseous core, rather than separately assessing the lipid or gas components. We examined the in vivo circulation persistence of 3 μm diameter phospholipid-coated MBs with three different mPEG2000 content: 2 mol % (mushroom), 5 mol % (intermediate), and 10 mol % (brush). MB size and concentration in the blood were evaluated by a hemocytometer analysis over 30 min following intravenous injections of 20 and 40 μL/kg MVD in Sprague-Dawley rats. Interestingly, pharmacokinetic analysis demonstrated that increasing PEG concentration on the MB surface resulted in faster clearance. This was evidenced by a 1.6-fold reduction in half-life and area under the curve (AUC) (p < 0.05) in the central compartment. Conversely, the AUC in the peripheral compartment increased with PEG density, suggesting enhanced MB trapping by the mononuclear phagocyte system. This was supported by an in vitro assay, which showed a significant rise in complement C3a activation with a higher PEG content. In conclusion, a minimal PEG concentration on the MB shell (mushroom configuration) was found to prolong circulation and mitigate immunogenicity.

Preparation and performance analysis of polyethylene glycol/epoxy resin composite phase change material

It is crucial for their widespread application to develop phase change materials (PCMs) that can be mass-produced and possess high thermal storage capacity and stability. This study uses polyethylene glycol (PEG) as the phase change material and epoxy resin as the matrix to prepare polyethylene glycol/epoxy resin composite phase change materials (EPPCM) by blending and analyzing the effects of PEG's molecular weight and content on EPPCM's performance. The results indicate that PEG and epoxy resin are physically blended without chemical reaction. When the molecular weight of PEG is fixed, the larger the content of PEG, the higher the crystallinity, phase change enthalpy value, and phase change temperature of EPPCM, and the weaker the thermal cyclic stability and mechanical properties. When the content of PEG is fixed, the larger the molecular weight of PEG, the higher the crystallinity, phase change enthalpy value, and phase change temperature of EPPCM, the stronger the thermal cyclic stability, and the weaker the mechanical properties. Using PEG-10000 as the PCM with a PEG to epoxy resin ratio of 1:2.5, the EPPCM shows a phase change exothermic temperature range of 33.4 °C to 45.7 °C, an endothermic temperature range of 54.3 °C to 65.4 °C, a phase change enthalpy of 130.0 J/g, and only 1.56 % mass loss after 30 phase change cycles.

Effect of Plasticization/Annealing on Thermal, Dynamic Mechanical, and Rheological Properties of Poly(Lactic Acid).

This study investigates the use of low molecular weight poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) as a plasticizer for poly(lactic acid) (PLA). PLA/PEG blend films were prepared using the solvent casting method with varying mixing ratios. The films were analyzed using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA), and dynamic rheological analysis. The results indicate that the addition of PEG as a plasticizer affects the thermal and mechanical properties of the PLA/PEG blend films. The study found that the glass transition and cold crystallization temperatures decreased with increasing PEG content up to 20 wt%, while the crystallinity and crystallization rate increased. The blends with up to 20 wt% PEG were miscible, but phase separation occurred when the plasticizer content was increased to 30 wt%. Subsequently, amorphous samples of neat PLA and PLA plasticized with 10 wt% of PEG underwent annealing at various temperatures (Ta = 80-120 °C) for durations ta of 1 and 24 h. The samples were then analyzed using DSC and DMA. The addition of PEG to PLA altered the content of α' and α crystalline forms compared to neat PLA at a given (Ta; ta) and favored the formation of a mixture of α' and α crystals. The crystallinity achieved upon annealing increased with increasing Ta or ta and with the incorporation of PEG.

Elucidating Drought Tolerance Potential of Maize (Zea mays L.) Inbred Lines through Polyethylene Glycol Induced Drought Stress

Drought is one of the most distressing environmental stresses restraining the crop production . Drought undermines the plant growth from seedling to maturity and the studies have unveiled that the harmful impact of drought results in crops due to the damages perceived during crucial stages of development namely, germination, seedling development and flowering stages. Biometric elements and indices at an early growth stage could be employed in designing the selection criteria to figure out the drought tolerant genotypes. Breeding for drought-prone environments is constrained by lack of suitable selection indices of drought stress resistance. The present study was conducted to determine the reliability of in-vitro screening method for initiating drought breeding programme. Poly ethylene glycol (PEG) has been used often as abiotic stress inducer in many studies to screen drought tolerant germplasm. The present investigation was carried out to reveal the drought tolerance potential of 103 maize inbred lines by in-vitro screening under three levels of PEG levels viz., 0% as control, 10% and 20% and evaluating their effect on the root parameters like primary root length, number of seminals roots , number of lateral roots and root biomass. The seedlings exhibited a significant variation for all the traits analyzed. All the root parameters had highest value under control and had significant decline with increasing PEG concentrations (0% &lt; 10% &lt; 20%). The inbreds showing the best level of drought tolerance at all levels of PEG induced stress can be used as a source of drought tolerance for the improvement of drought tolerant hybrids . The variation among maize inbreds for these traits was found to be an ideal indicator to screen the drought tolerant genotypes at early growth stages.

Drought tolerance testing of paddy variety Inpari 4 with PEG-6000 in the germination phase

Paddy (Oryza sativa L.) factors in the importance of life for Indonesians. The challenge that will be faced in the future is global warming which can cause drought in the agricultural sector. Paddy is very susceptible to drought during germination and early growth stages. Such drought can cause crop production to decline. This research aims to provide earlier information on drought-tolerant paddy varieties. The research carried out in the Laboratory of Ecology and Plant Production Management, Sebelas Maret University. It was applied FCRD consisting of the first factor of PEG-6000 concentration (C) which is 0% (C0), 10% (C1), 15% (C2), 20% (C3) and 25% (C4), the second factor of soaking duration (S) is 12 hours (S1), 24 hours (S2) and 36 hours (S3). The data obtained were analyzed using ANOVA and further tested with DMRT 5%. The results of research on seed viability from the application PEG-6000 which can have a drought effect show that at a temperature of 26°C produces germination of 84,30%, C3S3 gave the highest value on germination (90,50%) and growing speed (47,58%/etmal), C0 gives the highest value at lead length (29,05 cm) and C4 gives the highest value at radicle length (35,64 cm).

Transport properties of ethylene glycol functionalized membranes exposed to nonaqueous electrolytes

Non-aqueous redox flow batteries (RFBs) are a promising technology to meet growing demand for grid-scale energy storage. Membrane separators, designed specifically for use with organic solvents, are necessary to advance non-aqueous RFBs. Herein, we report the development of a series of poly(phenylene oxide) (PPO) membranes functionalized with poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) side chains to investigate the influence of PEG side chain length and degree of PEGylation on membrane transport properties. Increasing the degree of PEGylation generally led to increases in electrolyte uptake, hydroxy TEMPO permeability, and ionic conductivity likely caused by an increase in overall PEG content, as opposed to specific interactions caused by changing the degree of PEGylation. For membranes with similar PEG content, increasing the length of the PEG side chain resulted in decreases in electrolyte uptake, permeability, and conductivity possibly due to differences in the solvation behavior of the PEG chains with different lengths.

Physicochemical Effects of PEG Content in Alginate-based Double Network Hydrogels as Hybrid Scaffolds

This study aims to prepare a double-network hydrogel as hybrid networks bearing both natural and synthetic polymers to obtain scaffolds with increased swelling capacity and tunable mechanical and morphological properties. Physically cross-linked alginate hydrogel was reinforced with various ratios of Poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) polymers which were chemically gellated via UV light exposure with a water soluble initiator. Physicochemical properties of the resulting hydrogels were systematically investigated via Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy for chemical composition and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) for their morphological features like porosity. Furthermore, the effect of PEG amount in the final hydrogel (10, 20 and 40%) on swelling capacity was evaluated as well as the rheological properties. Prepared double-network hydrogels were demonstrated to be composed of both natural alginate polymer and synthetic PEG chains in FT-IR spectrum. Although 10%PEG containing hydrogel was not significantly different in terms of swelling capacity from the alginate hydrogel alone, increasing PEG amount seems to have improved the swelling ability. Comparative reological studies presented that introducing covalently cross-linked PEG network into alginate one increased crosspoint of storage and loss moduli almost 12 times more providing a stiffer scaffold. Increasing PEG content decreased the pore size on SEM images, indicating more crosslinking points in hydrogel structure.