Matric potential evaluations and measurements for gelled substrates

• DOI: 10.1111/j.1399-3054.1995.tb00796.x
• Publication Date: 2006-05-01T06:45:34Z
• Authors: Dario Beruto; Margherita Beruto; Carlo Ciccarelli; Pierre Debergh
• Keywords: 0301 basic medicine; 0303 health sciences; 03 medical and health sciences

A new method for evaluating the matric potential of gelled media has been developed. The method allows the derivation of the matric potential as a limit of a series of measurements of water potential values from gelled media prepared without added components, from agar powders progressively cleaned of mineral impurities. Three commercial agar brands were tested, and for these the matric potential was found to contribute only between 1 and 2% of their total water potential. Thermodynamic features relating matric and osmotic potentials are described. New hypotheses for understanding the water flux mechanism from gel to tissue cultured explants are discussed. Movement of water along polymeric chains is postulated to be a facilitated step in comparison with bulk movement.