PURPOSE The present study deals with evaluation of crosslinked poly vinyl alcohol (PVA) as a potential disintegrant. METHODS Crosslinking of PVA was carried out using glutaraldehyde as a crosslinker, in presence of acidic conditions. The crosslinking reaction was optimized for a) polymer: crosslinker ratio; b) temperature requirement and c) reaction duration. Certain physical parameters of th...

The freshwater chlorophyte Scenedesmus obliquus (Turpin) Kützing produces colonies as an inducible defence against herbivores. We investigated the dynamics of Scenedesmus colony formation and disintegration in response to the density of the herbivorous rotifer Brachionus calyciflorus in large-scale mesocosms. Additional bioassays were performed to investigate Scenedesmus colony disintegration u...

In order to prepare intracellular substances from microorganisms the barrier of the cell envelope has to be disrupted. Since this barrier is usually very resistant, the methods available for the preparation of substances with unstable activity are restricted due to the inactivation occasioned by some disintegration processes. Some methods, usually applying physico-mechanical shearing stress, ar...