ANALYTICAL AND PREPARATIVE SEPARATION OF ANIONIC OLIGOSACCHARIDES BY WEAK ANION-EXCHANGE HIGH-PERFORMANCE LIQUID-CHROMATOGRAPHY ON AN INERTPOLYMER COLUMN

The use of ammonium formate buffers for analytical and preparative wea k anion-exchange high-performance chromatography of anionic sugars is described. The method can be used for structures containing sulfate, p hosphate, sialic acid, and uronic acid moieties. Excellent separation of the anionic sugars was achieved from pH 5.5 to 9. In contrast to si lica matrix columns the polymer matrix column used can tolerate a wide range of pH values for the eluting buffer and it does not shed materi al into the eluent. The use of a single volatile buffer avoids additio nal purification steps to recover separated sugars suitable for furthe r structural and functional analyses. (C) 1994 Academic Press, Inc.