This protocol is a simple colorimetric assay for internal ammonium quantification in aqueous extracts from plant tissues. The method is based on the phenol hypochlorite assay (Berthelot reaction):
NH4+ + hypochlorite + OH- + phenol → indophenol
The oxidation of indophenol caused by phenol oxidation is a blue dye that is quantified at 635 nm in a spectrophotometer. Per ammonium molecule one molecule of indophenol is formed. The protocol described here is for Arabidopsis thaliana (A. thaliana) leaves and roots, although it is also valid for other plants species.
Vega-Mas, I., Sarasketa, A. and Marino, D. (2015). High-throughput Quantification of Ammonium Content in Arabidopsis. Bio-protocol 5(16): e1559. DOI: 10.21769/BioProtoc.1559.