Humeomics applied directly on Soil to unveil the Molecular Composition of Organic Matter

Humeomics is a sequential chemical fractionation that uses in the order organic solvent extraction, transesterification with boron trifluoride in methanol, methanolic alkaline hydrolysis, cleavage of ether and glycosidic bonds with HI, and final alkaline extraction. The Humeomic procedure was applied for the first time directly on soil and revealed a series of unique soil organic matter (SOM) fractions with specific molecular composition. Gravimetric analysis revealed that a significantly larger amount of humic component was solubilised in humeomic fractions than it was extracted by the traditional alkaline extraction method. Thus, humeomics fractionation can substantially increase knowledge on SOM, now revealing organic matter molecules that were previously hidden and unknown.