A novel technique for the pre-concentration and extraction of inositol hexakisphosphate from soil extracts with determination by phosphorus-31 nuclear magnetic resonance
Inositol hexakisphosphate (IP6 ) is often the dominant form of soil
organic phosphorus (P), but is rarely investigated because of the
analytical difficulties encountered in its extraction, separation, and
detection in environmental samples. In particular, recent advances in
the study of soil organic P with 31 P nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR)
have been of limited use for the study of IP6 , because the technique
does not discriminate between IP6 and other forms of P. This was
addressed by developing a novel analytical procedure using the retentive
properties of gel-filtration gels for IP6, which allows the combined
selective extraction and pre-concentration of IP 6 from soil extracts
with determination by 31 P NMR. While the technique is still in the
developmental stage, the results demonstrate that the gel does not
interfere with 31 13 NMR analysis and retains IP6 to concentrations well
above those required to give clear spectral signals. The technique has
considerable potential for application to the study of IP6 in soil extracts
and water samples and, with development, could help to answer fundamental
questions regarding the dynamics of organic P in the environment