A quick and simple spectrophotometric method to determine total carbon concentrations in root exudate samples of grass species

PURPOSE: Root exudates are key components driving belowground interaction between plant, microbes and soil. High-end analytical approaches provide advanced insights into exudate metabolite diversity, however, the amount of total carbon (C) released by roots should always be determined as the most basic parameter when characterizing root exudation as it (i) provides quantitative information of C exuded into the surrounding soil and (ii) allows to relate the abundance of individual exudate compounds to total C released. Here we propose a simple and quick, spectrophotometry-based method to quantify total dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentration in exudation samples that is based on measuring the absorption of a pre-filtered but otherwise untreated exudate sample at 260 nm (DOC(260)). METHOD: Exudate samples collected from different grass genotypes (Zea mays, Oryza sativa, Hordeum vulgare) grown in various experimental settings (soil, hydroponic) were analysed with the DOC(260) assay and results were compared with C concentrations obtained by liquid TOC-analyser. CONCLUSION: We demonstrated that the DOC(260) method allowed for quick and inexpensive measurements of total dissolved organic carbon concentrations in exudate samples from grass species grown under nutrient sufficient as well as under P deficient conditions. Interestingly, DOC(260) failed to predict DOC concentrations in exudate samples from plants grown under Zn and Fe deficiency suggesting a strong shift in metabolite composition under micronutrient deficiency. Even though the applicability of the DOC(260) method remains to be tested on exudate samples originating from dicots and plants exposed to other environmental stresses (e.g. pathogen attack, heavy metal stress, etc), it will help to increase our understanding of root exudation and related rhizosphere processes in the future.