A RAPID AND RELIABLE PROCEDURE FOR EXTRACTION OF CELLULAR POLYAMINES AND INORGANIC-IONS FROM PLANT-TISSUES

A fast and reliable method for the extraction of cellular polyamines a nd major inorganic ions (Ca, Mg, Mn, K, and P) from several plant tiss ues is described. The method involves repeated freezing and thawing of samples instead of homogenization. The efficiency of extraction of bo th the polyamines and inorganic ions by these two methods was compared for 10 different tissues. In each case, the freeze-thaw procedure res ulted in a precise and quantitatively equal, or greater, yield than ho mogenization. Freeze-thawing not only eliminates the need for various tissue homogenizers (such as polytrons, tissumizers, and mortars and p estles), but it is so simple that a large number of samples can be pro cessed simultaneously. We routinely processed 50-80 samples for quanti tation of polyamines and inorganic ions. Freeze-thawing was equally us eful for the extraction of polyamines from liver, spleen, and kidney t issues of mice.