Fluorescein diacetate (FDA) hydrolysis is one of the most important biological indicators in the study of
soil quality, which can reflect the activity of soil microbial, the change of soil quality and the
transformation of organic matter in ecosystem.
FDA is a colorless compound, which can be hydrolyzed by many soil enzymes in the medium. After
dehydration reaction, fluorescein is the final product of enzymatic hydrolysis. The fluorescein is stable and
not easy to be decomposed, and has a strong absorption peak at 490 nm. The activity of FDA hydrolase
can be calculated by detecting the change of absorption value at 490 nm.
Reagents and Equipment Required but Not Provided:
Balance, low temperature centrifuge, spectrophotometer, 1 mL glass cuvette, constant temperature water
bath, acetone, 30 mesh sieve (or smaller).