Determination of phytic acid in rapeseed meal

A new method has been developed for the determination of phytic acid in rapeseed meal based on extraction of the phytate with 15% trichloroacetic acid. After enzymatic hydrolysis with phytase from wheat, the phosphate is determined spectrophotometrically. The method has been applied to a number of varieties of rapeseed. The variation within a variety was nearly as high as within a population of varieties of the same species. The results imply that the phytic acid content of rapeseed is mostly influenced by environmental factors such as the availability of phosphorus in the soil.