Fluoroorganic acids in soybean leaves exposed to fluoride

Soybean plants were fumigated with HF or grown in nutrient solution containing sodium fluoride or fluoroacetate, and the organic acid fractions of the leaf extracts were compared. Organic acid extracts from these treatments contained fluoroorganic compounds that were chromatographically similar to fluoroacetate and fluorocitrate. These fractions were separated from HF- and NaF-treated leaf extracts and found to inhibit aconitase prepared from either pig heart or soybean fluorocitrate. Aconitase from soybean leaves was as sensitive to fluorocitrate as that isolated from pig heart. Fluorocitrate was identified in extracts of fluoride-treated plants by infrared spectroscopy.