Simultaneous Electrochemical Determination of Indole-3-acetic Acid and Salicylic Acid in Pea Roots using a Multiwalled Carbon Nanotube Modified Electrode

Indole-3-acetic acid and salicylic acid are essential phytohormones with profound effects on growth and development as well as stress responses of plants. Accumulating evidence has suggested that these compounds mediate the same biological process by collaboration or antagonistic actions. Simultaneous determination of indole-3-acetic acid and salicylic acid may significantly improve the understanding on mechanisms of their interaction. In this study, the simultaneous determination of these analytes was electrochemically performed using a multiwalled carbon nanotubes-chitosan modified glassy carbon electrode. Based on differential pulse voltammetry, indole-3-acetic acid and salicylic acid were determined from 0.67 to 48.82 micromolar with detection limits of 0.1 micromolar. In addition, no interferences were observed from other molecules. This method was employed for the simultaneous determination of the analytes in pea root extracts. The approach may be extended for additional study of the interaction of indole-3-acetic acid and salicylic acid in plants.