Determination of the silicon concentration in plant material using Tiron extraction.
• The quantification of silicon (Si) in plants generally requires a digestion procedure before the determination of the dissolved Si concentration by spectrometric analysis. Recent procedures produce rapid and accurate measurements, but are based on either hazardous chemicals or sophisticated instrumentation. • Here, we describe a simpler procedure using Tiron. Tiron [4,5-dihydroxy-1,3-benzene-disulfonic acid disodium salt, (HO)(2)C(6)H(2)(SO(3)Na)(2)] is currently used as a selective extractant for amorphous silica in soils. Because Si in the shoots is mostly composed of amorphous opaline silica particles (i.e. phytoliths), we tested the Tiron extraction procedure for plants. • Our results are critically discussed in relation to two other standard procedures: electrothermal vaporization determination and high-temperature lithium-metaborate digestion. • We demonstrate that Tiron extraction is an alternative method which allows the rapid, safe and accurate quantification of Si in shoots of various plants covering a wide range of Si concentrations.
Guntzer
F
F
CEREGE CNRS/Université Paul Cézanne, Europôle Méditerranéen de l'Arbois, Aix-en-Provence, France.
Keller
C
C
Meunier
J D
JD
D014013:1,2-Dihydroxybenzene-3,5-Disulfonic Acid Disodium Salt; D029624:Ferns / Q000737:chemistry*; D019684:Magnoliopsida / Q000737:chemistry*; D008722:Methods; D018520:Plant Shoots / Q000737:chemistry*; D012825:Silicon / Q000032:analysis*; D012822:Silicon Dioxide / Q000032:analysis*; D013054:Spectrophotometry, Atomic / Q000379:methods
D014013:1,2-Dihydroxybenzene-3,5-Disulfonic Acid Disodium Salt; D012822:Silicon Dioxide; D012825:Silicon