Hello everyone. I am trying to solve a volatile oil in water so the question is what is the best way to solve an essential oil in water? Which solvent (DMSO,Tween 20 or 80) should I use and what concentration of it (without affecting plant germination and growth). I used 0,1% Tween 80 and I get and emulsion of the oil, so that's not good. Thanks!
Ms. Ana Maria
Essential oils or aromatic volatile oils are sparingly soluble in water (
You can use only DMSO that will be best solution. You should not use 0.1% tween, it will emulsify your essential oil.
(C1) Negative control (DMSO)
Effect of extracts from 4 solvents at 50 mg/ml on the growth of A. flavus IMI, incubated for 5 days Pp23
http://www.kmitl.ac.th/ejkmitl/vol10no1/P3.pdf
Ms. Ana Maria
Essential oils or aromatic volatile oils are sparingly soluble in water (
You may try, but essential oils (depends on which one) likely do not dissolve in ethanol. More likely they can be dissolved in hydrocarbon, like octane or in mixtures of alcohols and hydrocarbons.
Ethanol and DMSO are the most frequently used solvents for volatile oils. Tween 80 is only used for emulsification
DMSO can be used - but you have to check how it affects seed germination - EtOH could definately create problems for germination
Acetone works very well because it mixes with polar and non-polar compounds. I am not sure what concentration would have an influence on seed germination. Micro-organisms can withstand concentrations as high as 50% acetone. It should be easy enough to test the effect of different acetone concentrations on seed germination.
Thank you for this response. If it has not been published it may be worthwhile testing this supposition. I have no doubt that 100% acetone would inhibit seed germination of many seeds. You have to dissolve your compounds to say 100 mg/ml in acetone and then dilute it to say 25 mg/ml in 25% acetone. Your negative control would then be 25% acetone. The more soluble your compound is in acetone, the more you can dilute out the acetone concentration with water to get the concentrations you want to test.
It would be a very easy assay for you to test germination using different acetone concentrations. It would be interested in knowing your results.
Dissolution followed by dilution in water is an interesting approach. In case of acetone there will an additional shift in composition due to evaporation. One has to consider that by dilution a very fine emulsion will be produced when solubility limit is reached. It might be a successful strategy to impregnate the seeds with a thin film of the essential oil. Then only the effect of essential oil on germination will play a role, if there is any. The solvent vehicle would only have a minor or no effect.
Using the same volume of different concentrations of your oil may lead to different levels of absorption of the oil into the seed if you are interested in the effect of the oil on the germination of thee seed and development of the seedling. If you are interested in protecting the seed against insects or parasites by adding the essential oil, different concentrations will lead to different depths of film layers. Because a volatile oil also evaporates different depths of layers will affect the time of protection.
Ethanol forms an azeotrope with water. So check the solubility of essential oils in ethanol followed by dilution and use.
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