Application of ion chromatography to anion analysis in vegetable leaf extracts

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Abstract
A Dionex ion chromatograph was used to measure the anion content of four vegetable species. Separation of the anions by ion chromatography permitted their quantitation by conductivity measurement, following suppression of background (eluant) conductivity by a fiber cation exchanger. Aqueous extracts of pumpkin, tomato, turnip, and lettuce leaves yielded chromatographic profiles with substantial differences in the relative amounts of chloride, phosphate, nitrate, and sulfate. Common to each profile were two additional major anion peaks, which appear to be organic acids. A high degree of precision was achieved in the quantitation of all anions except phosphate. Organics were not found to pose serious problems in these analyses. Some potential interference by proteins extracted from the dried leaf powders was eliminated or controlled by using short (15 min) extraction times, and/or briefly boiling the extracts to denature and remove the proteins.