Thermo Fisher has developed an efficient and simple high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method with ultraviolet detection for the determination of phenolic compounds (gallic acid, caffeic acid, 4-hydroxybenzoic acid, syringic acid, ferulic acid, salicylic acid, phloroglucinol, cinnamic acid, catechin, quercetin, vanillin, phloridzin, and phloretin) in apple orchard soil.

Application Note (AN) 1077: Determination of Phenolic Compounds in Apple Orchard Soil demonstrates that the entire analysis process, including sample preparation and separation for one soil sample, can be accomplished within 80 minutes using this method combined with an accelerated solvent extractor.

Phenolic compounds generated from rhizosphere exudation and decomposition of plant material may contribute to replant disease in susceptible plants, including apple trees. Most phenolic substances are water-soluble and aromatic, so reversed-phase HPLC with ultraviolet detection is the analytical technique of choice. Conventional extraction methods for soil samples—such as sonication, hot reflux, soxhlet, and immersion—are time consuming and do not always deliver the desired reproducibility. However, use of the accelerated solvent extractor as described in AN 1077 offers short extraction time, low solvent consumption, high extraction efficiency, excellent reproducibility, and time-saving automation. Thus, when the extraction is combined with the HPLC method, fruit producers have a rapid and reliable way to monitor the condition of their soil.

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