I found out recently that the manufacturer of euparal has discontinued production and am now in need of a different medium for permanent slide mounts. For health and safety reasons I would prefer to avoid anything involving xylene (such as Canada Balsam) and of course any media that easily darken, crystallize, polymerize, etc. - but it doesn't seem to be any good alternatives on the market these days.
Or are there?
Thanks for your help.
Update: Euparal has not been discontinued. This question was an overreaction to Bioquip matter-of-factly stating on their website that euparal no longer is manufactured -- the truth seems to be that their particular supplier has ceased to produce it. Other suppliers such as Carl Roth (www.carlroth.com) seem to still make it.
In this comprehensive review of microscope slide curation, they warn against German euparal (presumably referring to Carl Roth products): https://www.natsca.org/sites/default/files/publications/The%20Biology%20Curator%20Issue%2010%20supp.pdf . I have, however, used Roth euparal since 2008 and have found it fully satisfactory.
I am leaving this question and answer on researchgate in case anyone else is panicking over not getting their euparal in the US. Don't panic - trust the Germans.
Gunnar, you can use clove oil (eugenol) instead xylene after alcohol and while you think about the Christmas and the rødkål.
Jokes aside, the clove oil provides elasticity to cuticle (decreased by the alcohol) and you can finish the dissection with danger to broken it.
actually there are several options available on the market and you can choose the most suitable for your applications or compare pricing,
here are some of them:
Fisher Chemical™ Permount™ Mounting Medium
https://www.fishersci.com/shop/products/fisher-chemical-permount-mounting-medium-2/p-121849
Eukitt® Quick-hardening mounting medium
https://www.sigmaaldrich.com/catalog/product/sial/03989?lang=en®ion=LT
Entellan® new
http://www.merckmillipore.com/INTL/en/product/Entellan-new,MDA_CHEM-107961
I am facing the same problem. The supplier (ASCO, in the UK) which made the best Euparal on the market stopped producing it several years ago. In response to this I bought something advertised as euparal from Omicron-online in Germany. It's far darker, far runnier, and smells very different. I am fed up of reapplying that thin, dark euparal substitute to slides with mosquito larvae - it's just not up to the job. With mosquito slides I'd expect to tidy up the edges of coverslips once, perhaps, but not still have gaps after the 6th application (some need a 7th). I'm in the EU, so was hoping to find something in this part of the world that is suitable for museum-quality mounts, i.e. will not darken or flake from the slide over the long-term, and something that does not contain xylene.
In Mexico I have found this company. I have used this Euparal for Phlebotominae and it has turned out to be very good.
Consultoría Integral en Microscopía S. A. de C.V.
www.cimicroscopia.com
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