Soil Science and Plant Nutrition

ISSN: 0038-0768 (Print) 1747-0765 (Online) Journal homepage: https://www.tandfonline.com/loi/tssp20

Uronic acid in humus

Jiro Kosaka & Chikabumi Honda

To cite this article: Jiro Kosaka & Chikabumi Honda (1956) Uronic acid in humus, Soil Science
and Plant Nutrition, 2:1, 142-147, DOI: 10.1080/00380768.1956.10431874
To link to this article: https://doi.org/10.1080/00380768.1956.10431874

Published online: 30 Apr 2012.

Submit your article to this journal

Article views: 233

View related articles

Full Terms & Conditions of access and use can be found at

https://www.tandfonline.com/action/journalInformation?journalCode=tssp20
 URONIC ACID IN HUMUS

Jiro KOSAKA and Chikabumi HONDA

Secbion of Soil and Fertilizers, National Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Tokyo
Received Novemb•r 30, 1958

the content of uronic acid had been scarcely

Introduction
studied.
Uronic acids are aldehydic sugar acids. In
nature, they are composed mainly of d-glucuronic
acid and d-galacturonic acid and scarcely of d-
mannuronic acid.
Of uronic acids in the humus of the soil,
Schorey and Martin'' studied formerly, and esta-
blished the measuring method. They found the
per cent of uronic acid carbon to total carbon
(in this report uronic acid content was shown by
this per cent) was 12.8-28.4'G in mineral soils,
and 6.2-9.3~6' in peat soils.
Waksman and Reuszer2' came to the conclusion,
that with the advance of decomposition of plant
residues there was a progressive diminution of
the pentosan and a relative increase of the uronic
complexes.
In 1942 Norman 8> stated in his lecture on " Pro-
blems in the chemistry of soil organic matter",
that the uronic acid and the hypoiodite method
were very important theme in studying soil
organic matter. He also stated that uronic acid,
originated assumably from microbial products,
improved soil physical properties, and governed
the organic soil acidity, especially that of podzols.
Norman and Bartholomew0 measured uronic acid
content of 20 soil profiles, including prairie,
planosol, grey brown podzolic soil and podzol, and
found that uronic carbon increased with the depth
of profiles, except of groundwater podzol, parti-
cularly uronic acid accumulating in B-horizon of
podzols.
Forsyth~' fractionated fulvic acid and isolated
polysaccharide complexes of similar properties
from widely different types of soili.
The method, we adopted, was the usual one,
determining C02 evolved by boiling with 12'G
HCI. But there were some doubts in this method.
Mattson and Koutler-Anderson6' stated the possi-
bility of C0 2 evolution from others than uronic
acid.
In this report, we studied the relationship
between soil types and their content of uronic
acid. The types included lowland soils, of which
Samples Used
Explanatory data on the soil samples were given
in Table 1.
Experimental Procedure
In this report we used the apparatus, shown
in Fig. 1, modified from the equipment for deter-
mining carbon by wet combustion.
Procedure: Each sample, containing less than
0.1 g C0 2 evolved, was placed in the flask D, added
with 200cc of 1~6' HCl and boiled for one hour in
the oil bath. After the C02 in the flask was
removed by introducing C0 2 free air, the flask was
connected to the U-tube F, and added with 75 cc
of cone. HCI. The oil bath was then heated to
140-145 oc, the contents of the flask being b:>iled
for 6 hours. During the last one hour, C02 free
air was introduced, and the driven C02 was
absorbed into the U-tube I. The U-tube was
taken off and weighed.
By this procedure, the decarboxylation occured
in the carboxyl group of the uronic acid; con-
sequently, carbon in the evolved C02 was assumed
to be ~ of the total carbon of uronic acid.
Experimental Results and Discussion
1) The amount of C02 evolved by boiling with
1'6' HCI.
The amount of C02 evolved in the pre-treatment
of boiling soils with 1~6' HCl was shown in
Table 2.
The amount was always about 1-3~6' of total
carbon. As the pre-treatment, Norman gave an
intense stream of air after adding 12~6' HCl, and
he supposed that this carbon originated from
carbonate and also CO, absorbed in soils. But,
even in the case of hot 6~6' HCl extraction of
soils for fulvie acid, some C0 2 evolved and was
supposed to be partly originated from the decorn.
position of organic matter, others than the acid.
2) Uronic acid content of upland soils.
In Table 3 top soils were arranged in order of

142
 URONIC ACID IN HUMUS

Table 1. Applied Soil Samples

~----~- ---

Topography Great soil group Soil name Locality Use form

-------- -------- -- -~---- ---

Kiraichi Aomori Pref. Virgin forest

i Podzol
Jiimonjitoge Saitama Pref. ,
Okunakayama Iwate Pref. Grass land
Yonaizawa Akita Pref. ,
Owada Chiba Pref. Forest
Brown forest Kawasaki Kanagawa Pref. ' Upland field
soil (volcanic)
Daisen Tottori Pref. ,
Upland region
Sanpeizan Shimane Pref. Grass land
Kataji K6chi Pref. ,
~~--~
-------
Nihondaira Shizuoka Pref. Grass land
Reddish-brown
soil (non-volcanic) Mikatagahara , ,
Kano Mie Pref. Forest
- - - ----
Wet forest soil
(volcanic) Kariwano Akita Pref. ,
Umezato Chiba Pref. Paddy field
Half-bog soil
Mabashi , II

Meadow S)il Yahata Chiba Pref. ,

L()wland region
Atsugi Kanagawa Pref. ,
Grey lowland soil
Ikuno Kagawa Pref. ,
Brown lowland soil Chigasaki Kanagawa Pref. ,
------------------~~-- -------~--

F
w..r.,. A

k0H(4a1-) S.(OH~(.'!l~l;i...l)

Fig. 1. Apparatus for uronic acid determination.

143
Vol. 2 SOIL AND PLANT FOOD 1956

Table 2. C02 Evolved by Boiling with 1~6 HCl

Carbon in C02
evolved by boiling Total carb:m
s~n name Horizon with 1% HCl CT
CA
- - ------------
Ao, 0.066J6 5.95~.; 1.11~6
A, 0.073 4.97 1.47
Owada A3 0.079 4.56 1.73
B, 0.078 3.26 2.40
Bz 0.070 2.25 3.11
Ao 0.177 29.61 0.60
A, 0.093 29.91 0.30
Kiraichi A2 0.050 8.64 1.13
B, 0.167 5.45 3.06
B2 0.101 2.95 3.42
--- - --- --~ ------- I---- --
Ao, 0.060 5.30 1.13
A2 0.055 3.25 1.69
Nihondaira Aa 0.050 2.77 1.81
B, 0.049 1.80 2.72
B2 0.053 1.38 3.83

Table 3. Uronic Carbon of Upland Top Soils

Soil name Uronic carbon Cu Total carbon Gr ~~ x100

_I
Mikatagahara
Nihondaira
0.28~6

0.91 I
i
1.45%
5.30
19.3~6

17.1 -------
Kano 0.56 4.49 12.6
Okunakayama 0.74 8.16 9.1
------------
j

--------------1---------- --------- -~-'

-- ---
K~wasaki______ _ __ -l-----1_.1_0_ _ _ _ 8.60 12.7
1
I -------
Sanpeizan I 0. 92 _ _ II
15.65 5.9
Yonaizaw~------- I -- --0.49-- 11.46 4.3
1 I
. ·--------------- · 1 - - - - - --------- -- -------------
Daisen I 0.68 12.54 5.4
. -·
Kataji
... ----- --~~---------- ------- -- -- --- ----- -
0.57 15.52
I
I 3.7
------
I
----------------------------------- - ------------------
their degree of humification, which was published activity, and then decreased, releasing uronic
in the previous report7l. In the table, the degree complex as fulvic acid.
of humification became higher downward from Table 4 showed that in all soils except wet
the top. Per cent of uronic carbon was inclined forest soil of Kariwano, this ratio increased with
to decrease with the progress of humification. the depth of soil profile. How the lower horizons
Judging from the fact that slightly decayed were rich in uronic acid was made clear by refer-
organic matter, rotted timber (4.1,6) or A0-horizon ing the Table 5.
(see Table 4), showed the lower value, it increased On the table, humus was classified into three
temporarily, during the humification, by microbial fractions, acid-soluble, alkali-soluble acid-soluble
144
 URONIC ACID IN HUMUS

Table 4. Distribution of Uronic Carbon of Upland S'lils in Profiles

I Cu
I
Soil name Horizon Uronic carb:m Cu Total carbon Or I -x100
CT
- ---- --- ~----~---- ------- ---~~

Ao 1.44~~ 29.61~~ 4.9~~

A, 1.43 29.91 4.8
Kiraichi Ao 0.38 8.64 4.4
B, 0.74 5.45 13.5
B. 0.49 2.95 16.6
Ao 2.38 42.00 5.7
A, 2.24 33.21 7.3
Jiimonjitoge Az 0.38 7.11 5.3
B, 0.65 7.67 8.6
B2 0.83 7.64 10.8
---~--

Aot 1.04 5.95 17.4

A. 0.82 4.97 16.6
As 0.82 4.66 18.0
llwada B, 0.78 3.26 23.8
Bz 0.66 2.25 29.4
Ba 0.57 1.76 32.3
B, 0.43 1.02 42.4
----
Aot 0.91 5.30 17.1
A. 0.77 3.25 23.7
Nihondaira Aa 0.55 2.77 25.8
B, 0.54 1.80 29.9
B• 0.40 1.38 28.7
Aot 0.66 15.40 4.3
A. 0.28 2.92 9.6
Kariwano
B, 0.32 2.22 14.4
B2-G 0.11 0.90 12.2

and alkali-soluble acid-insoluble; the former two in the former than in the latter.
were so-called fulvic acids and the latter was As fulvic acid increased, in general, with soil
humic acid. The uronic acid content was higher depth, and was mostly made of uronic acid, the
uronic acid increased in the profile in the same
trend with soil depth. In Kano it amounted as
much as 49~~ in B-horizon.
In podzolized soils, it was minimum in A2-
horizon, and increased remarkably, when the
depth reached to B" beyond A1 •
In the wet forest soil, it increased slightly with
the depth, less in B2G horizon than in B1 horizon.
This tendency was similar to that found by Norman
in the groundwater podzol.
1#1 -- II Jl #D \4
3) Uronic acid content of lowland soils.
c;.;:;tg.,. Uronic acid content of surface soils showed no
Fig; 2. Uremic carban in soil profiles significant differences between soil types. This
(upland soils). ratio of subsoils increased with the improvement
145
Vol. 2 SOIL AND PLANT FOOD 1956

Table 5. Distribution of Uronic Carbon in Humus Fractions

=~=====~== -~-==-

Acid-soluble Alkali-soluble Alkali-soluble

Soil name Horizon acid-soluble acid-insoluble
-----~----~ ---- ----- -- - - ----
11.6~~ 11.7~~ 4.3~~

Owada 10.2 45.2 4.0

6.5 40.8 2.7
------- - -- ----- --------- ---
0.4 9.1 2.1
2.6 12.7 2.2
Jumonjitoge
4.9 7.8 4.7
10.4 10.7 4.9

of drainage, that of the peat layer being the Table 6.

smallest. In half-bog soils, Umezato and Mabashi, the
Distribution of it in soil profiles was shown in percentage decreased with the depth of soil pro-

Table 6. Distribution of Uronic Carbon of Lowland Soils in Profiles

=--=---==--
Soil name Depth Uronic carb:>n Total carb:m Cu Cu x100
Gr
- - - - - ---- - - - - - - - - - - - -
0-15cm 0.78% 8.80~~ 8.8~~
15-30 0.71 9.89 7.1
Umezato 30-45 (Muck) 0.80 15.31
(Half-bog soil) 5.3
4~0 (Peat) 1.48 32.35 4.6
60-75 (Peat) 1.23 29.95 4.1
0-15 0.51 3.83 13.3
15-30 0.42 4.41 9.5
Mabashi
(Half-bog soil) 30-45 (Muck) 0.54 9.63 5.6
45-60 (Peat) 1.12 28.81 3.9
65-75 (Peat) 0.92 24.14 3.8
(Umezato (Peat) 1.02 36.79 2.8
Umezato (Muck) 1.00 17.52 5.7
------
0-15 0.78 3.88 20.2
Yahata 15-30 0.32 3.24 9.9
(Meadow soil) 30-45 0.14 1.86 7.3
4~0 0.10 1.11 8.9
--------
0-14
- --- ------
0.13 1.59
-
---
8.3
Ikuno 14-18 0.10 0.54 17.7
(Grey lowland
soil) 18-24 0.12 0.58 19.8
24< 0.08 0.58 14.3
-------
Atsugi
(Grey lowland
------ -- -------

surface soil 0.42

:---------
3.38 12.5
----
soil) subsoil 0.51 3.54 14.4
- ----------------
Chigasaki surface soil 0.24 1.38 17.5
(Brown
lowland soil) subsoil 0.19 0.84 23.2
--- - - ------------- --~ --------------

146
 URONIC ACID IN HUMUS

authors applied the apparatus for wet combustion

#~----------------------~
method of carbon. Carbon dioxode evolved was

~~· introduced into U-tube, containing soda-lime, and

weighed. Of several soils, uronic carbon was
Zl
.. / determined to the following results.
·~ JO J/ ' /lcvno{G,oy /IW/on"d sod) 1) Of upland soils, the ratio of uronic carbon
to total carbon decreased with the progress of
tQ .ro I\ YoAofo (Mcodlw SIJi/)
humification.
The ratio increased with the depth of soil pro-

I
file in all soil types except wet forest soil. This
60 is explained by the fact, that fulvic acid con-
Umn11fs (Half-hiS soil)
~~·--~--~~---7·~~--~ tained more uronic acid than humic acid, and the
70
0 10 ZO 3D % content of fulvic acid ·increased with the depth.
In wet forest soil this ratio was smaller in ~­
~.too
Tot ol-e G horizon. In podzolized soil, this ratio increased
Fig. 3. Uronic carbon in soil profiles remarkably, when the depth reached to B., be-
(lowland soils). yond A •.
2) Of lowland soils, the ratio was smallest in
file; in the meadow soil, Yahata, not changed peat and seemed to be enlarged by the progress
with the depth; and, in the grey lowland soil, of drainage. With the depth of soil profile, the
Ikuno, increased, on the contrary, with the depth. ratio decreased in half-bog soil, not changed in
The causes of above inclinations was probably subsoil in meadow soil, and increased in grey
explained that in the former two, fulvic acid, lowland soil.
rich in uronic complexes, was not transported 3) This ratio showed the same tendency in
downward. humic acids from soils as in original soils.
4) Uronic acid content in humic acids extracted
References
by cold alkali.
As shown in Table 7, humic acids had the same 1) E.C. Shorey and J.B. Martin, Jour. Amer.
Table 7. Uronic Carbon in Humic Acids

Name of Atsugi Umezato Umezato

Kataji Kawasaki Nihondaira (Muck) (Peat) Merck
humic acid

~x100 8.42 9.15 19.14 7.20 4.99 6.66

tendency as original soils had. Namely, in upland Chem. Soc., 52 (1930).

soils it decreased with the progress of humifica-
tion, as small as 1.4?.; in Kataji soil. In lowland
soils, humic acid from the peat layer showed the
value, resemble to that of Merck's humic acid,
which was prepared from the peat. This value
increased with the progress of drainage, as large
as 19.14~.:; in Atsugi meadow soil.
Summary
Uronic carbon in soils was ordinarily determined
by boiling soils with 12~.; HCI. For this boiling,
2) S.A. Waksman and H.W. Reuszer, Soil Sci.,
33 (1932).
3) A.G. Norman, Soil Sci., Soc. Amer., Proc.,
7 (1942).
4) A.G. Norman and W.V. Bartholomew, Soil
Sci., 56 (1943).
5) W.G.C. Forsyth, Biochem. J., 46 (1950).
6) S. Mattson and E. Koutler-Anderson, Ann.
agric Coll. Sweden, 12 (1944).
7) J. Kosaka and C. Honda, Soil and Plant Food
2 (1956).

147