In many references, the optimal pH of phenol for RNA extraction is 4.5, but I have some phenol at pH 2. Can I use it?
I think it’s not advisable to use the pH of 2 since at this pH the phenol can easily be protonated because of it’s higher concentration which can affect the effective separation of the RNA from it’s cellular component but adjusting this pH to 4.5 can help the phenol function effectively for the extraction process
The minimum pH for phenol used in RNA extraction is around 4.3, as lower pH levels, such as 2, can degrade RNA. It is essential to maintain the pH within the range of 4.3 to 8 for optimal RNA recovery.
I think it is not good to work with phenol having a pH of 2.0 for RNA extraction. This pH is too acidic that can lead to RNA degradation, contamination of isolate with proteins etc, and negatively affect the downstream processes viz RT PCR.
For RNA isolation it is better to work with phenol in the pH range of 4.5 to 5.5. This helps to maintain RNA integrity and minimize contamination with other biomolecules @ Zahra Hashemifar
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