Effects of surfactants on water permeability of isolated plant cuticles and on the composition of their cuticular waxes

Treating the outer surfaces of isolated cuticles of Seville orange (Citrus aurantium L.) and pear (Pyrus communis L. cv. Bartlett) leaves with a number of nonionic (polyoxyethylene) surfactants increased their permeability to water by factors ranging from 4.1 to 14.7 and from 7.2 to 152.4, respectively. However, sodium dodecylsulphate, an anionic surfactant, had little effect on water permeability. In both species the major aliphatic constituents were n-alkanes, 1-alkanols and n-alkyl esters. None of the surfactant treatments altered the amounts or composition of waxes in the cuticles used for transport measurements. The reasons for the apparent absence of solubilization or dissolution of cuticular waxes by nonionic surfactants are discussed and a hypothesis is presented for the mechanism by which activator adjuvants may increase the permeability of plant cuticles.