A modified colorimetric method for phytic acid analysis in soybean

A quantitative, reproducible, and efficient phytic acid assay procedure is needed to screen breeding populations and support genetic studies in soybeans [Glycine max (L.) Merr.]. The objective of this study was to modify the colorimetric Wade reagent method and compare the accuracy and applicability of this new method in determining seed phytic acid content in soybean with three well-established phytic acid assay methods: anion exchange column (AEC), high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), and P-31 nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). The CV for repeated measurements of a low phytic acid soybean mutant, CX1834-1-6, ranged from 1.8 to 4.2% (n = 5), indicating the results were precise and reproducible. Phytic acid content of 42 soybean genotypes as determined by this method showed a correlation of 93.7 to 96.6% with the measurements by AEC, HPLC, and NMR. According to analysis of covariance, using inorganic P content as a predictor, phytic acid P content in a given sample analyzed by the four assay methods can be estimated with four linear regression models at the (x = 0.01 level. Compared with HPLC, AEC, and P-11 NMR, this modified colorimetric method is simpler and less expensive for assaying a large number of samples, allowing its effective application in breeding and genetic studies of low phytic acid soybean.