Abstract
Phenolics are a heterogeneous group of natural substances characterized by an aromatic ring with one or more hydroxyl groups. Among the compounds with several phenolic hydroxyl substituents, tannins are of particular interest because of various ecological roles, especially as defense compounds against herbivores and pathogens, but also in communications with other species. Since the bulk of polyphenolics remains present during leaf senescence and after death, polyphenolics may also affect microbial decomposers and litter-consuming detritivores and therefore delay decomposition of plant litter. This chapter presents the Folin-Ciocalteu method to determine total phenolics in leaf litter. Leaf material is dried and extracted with an aqueous acetone solution. Phenolics in the extract are determined spectrophotometrically at 760 nm following a color reaction with a mixture of phosphomolybdate and phosphotungstate. The original assay was designed by Folin and Denis to quantify the phenolic amino acid tyrosine. Here we present the Folin-Ciocalteu assay, which is more sensitive and relatively non-specific. Reductants in the extract other than phenolics may be inhibitory or enhance the reaction.
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Bärlocher, F., Graça, M.A.S. (2020). Total Phenolics. In: Bärlocher, F., Gessner, M., Graça, M. (eds) Methods to Study Litter Decomposition. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-30515-4_18
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-30515-4_18
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