The analysis of the low molecular weight fraction (<10 kDa) of platinu
m species in grass is described. This fraction is isolated by ultrafil
tration, gel-chromatography and preparative isotachophoresis and then
further separated by Liquid chromatography with diode-array UV and pul
sed amperometric detection. Platinum is determined in eluted fractions
by using a very sensitive adsorptive voltammetric method. The strong
correlation of platinum concentration with the highly selective pulsed
amperometric detection enables the platinum binding ligands to be ide
ntified as carbohydrate-oligomers (MW about 1 kDa). Further evidence o
f this result is obtained by using capillary electrophoresis as an ind
ependent separation technique. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V.