A new method for the isolation of wax crystals from plant surfaces is presented. The wax‐covered plant surface, e.g., a piece of a leaf or fruit, is brought into contact with a preparation liquid, e.g., glycerol or triethylene glycol, and cooled to ca. −100°C. When the plant specimen is removed, the epicuticular wax remains embedded in the frozen liquid. After it warms up, the wax layer can be captured on appropriate carriers for further studies. This isolation method causes very little stress on the wax crystals; thus the shape and crystal structure are well preserved. In many cases it is possible, by choosing a preparation liquid with appropriate wettability, to isolate either the entire epicuticular wax layer or only discrete wax crystals without the underlying wax film. These crystals are well suited for electron diffraction studies by transmission electron microscopy and high resolution imaging by atomic force microscopy. The absence of intracuticular components and other impurities and the feasibility of the selective isolation of wax crystals enable improved chemical analysis and a more detailed study of their properties.

中文翻译：

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通过新的机械隔离方法直接获取植物表皮蜡晶体

提出了一种从植物表面分离蜡晶体的新方法。蜡覆盖的植物表面，例如一片叶子或果实，与制备液体（例如甘油或三甘醇）接触，然后冷却至约 100 毫升。-100°C。当植物标本被取出时，表皮蜡仍然嵌入冷冻液体中。加热后，蜡层可以被捕获在适当的载体上以供进一步研究。这种隔离方法对蜡晶体产生的应力很小；因此形状和晶体结构得到很好的保存。在许多情况下，通过选择具有适当润湿性的制备液，可以隔离整个角质层外蜡层或仅分离蜡晶体而没有下面的蜡膜。这些晶体非常适合通过透射电子显微镜进行电子衍射研究和通过原子力显微镜进行高分辨率成像。没有角质层内成分和其他杂质以及选择性分离蜡晶体的可行性能够改进化学分析并对其性质进行更详细的研究。