Studies on dried peas. I. —The determination of phytate phosphorus

Abstract

Abstract The relation of phytate concentration to colour produced by standard quantities of thiocyanate and ferric iron in a solution is inverse and almost linear. This is the basis of the method proposed for the determination of phytate phosphorus. It has been applied to the determination of quantities between 75 and 150 ug . in extracts from dried peas with an accuracy of ± 5%. Chloride, sulphate, citrate, tartrate and malate do not interfere in concentrations of the same order as that of the phytate. Interference by o‐I mg. of orthophosphate phosphorus is negligible; 0.4 mg. causes a positive error of less than 5%. It is suggested that there may be less interference in aqueous alcohol.