THE ESTIMATION OF PLANT ORGANIC ACIDS BY GAS‐LIQUID CHROMATOGRAPHY

Abstract
SUMMARY: A gas‐liquid chromatographic technique for the rapid separation of organic acids as silyl derivatives is described. The procedure involves two successive analyses using different stationary phases, one of which separates citric and isocitric acids directly as silyl derivatives. This avoids the tedious conversion of isocitric acid to the lactone. The chromatographic analysis of the major acids in a plant with Crassulacean acid metabolism can be completed in under 20 min.