Skip to main content
ARS Home » Southeast Area » New Orleans, Louisiana » Southern Regional Research Center » Commodity Utilization Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #135641
Title: ION CHROMATOGRAPHY OF PHYTATE IN ROOTS AND TUBERS

Author
item Phillippy, Brian
item Bland, John
item Evens, Terence

Submitted to: Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/15/2002
Publication Date: 2/1/2003
Citation: Phillippy, B.Q., Bland, J.M., Evens, T.J. 2003. ION CHROMATOGRAPHY OF PHYTATE IN ROOTS AND TUBERS. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. 51(2):350-353.

Interpretive Summary: Improvements were made in the analytical method to measure phytic acid, a compound in seeds and other plant tissues with numerous nutritional properties. Roots and tubers commonly consumed by humans were determined to contain relatively large amounts of phytic acid. The improved method and new data will help scientists define the roles of phytic acid in nutrition and manipulate them to protect the environment.

Technical Abstract: The ion chromatographic method for the quantification of phytate (InsP6) in foods was adapted for the analysis of roots and tubers. To maximize sensitivity, UV detection following post-column derivatization was compared with evaporative light scattering detection (ELSD). Detection limits for phytate were 0.5 ug and 1 ug for UV and ELSD, respectively. Unidentified peaks eluting close to and after InsP6 were removed by solid-phase extraction. Phytate was detected in eleven of fifteen roots or tubers. The highest phytate levels were 0.169% and 0.133% of the fresh weight of taro (Colocasia esculenta) and yuca (Manihot esculenta), respectively. Potatoes (Solanum tuberosum) contained 0.045-0.073% phytate, whereas no phytate at a detection limit of 0.003% of fresh weight was observed in sweet potatoes (Ipomoea batatas).v