Colorimetric Assay for the Quantification of Non-Structural Carbohydrates in Plant Tissues

Abstract

Source: Deans, C. A. et al. Quantifying Plant Soluble Protein and Digestible Carbohydrate Content, Using Corn (Zea mays) As an Exemplar. J. Vis. Exp. (2018).

This video describes the method to quantify the digestible carbohydrates present in plant tissues. This helps to collect data from various plant tissues to study nutritional ecology, plant-herbivore interactions, and food-web dynamics.

Protocol

1. Plant Collection and Processing

1. After collecting plant samples, flash-freeze samples by dipping plant material into liquid nitrogen with forceps and store at -80 °C. If the plant samples collected are too large to flash-freeze, quickly cool the samples using dry ice and transfer to a -80 °C freezer as soon as possible. The macronutrient content of plant material can change after tissues are separated from the plant, so it is important to freeze plant samples as soon as possible after collection.
   CAUTION: Liquid nitrogen can cause severe frostbite when in contact with skin. Please make sure to transport liquid nitrogen i....

Materials

List of materials used in this article

Name	Company	Catalog Number	Comments
Microplate reader (spectrophotometer)	Bio-Rad Model	680 XR