Determination of maltodextrins in enteral formulations by three different chromatographic methods

Maltodextrins (G(1) to G(11)) present in enteral formulations have been det ermined by three analytical methods - thin-layer chromatography (TLC), high -performance anion-exchange chromatography with pulsed electrochemical dete ction (HPAEC-PED), and high-performance liquid chromatography with refracti ve-index detection (HPLC-RI). The repeatability of the three methods was si milar. Although HPAEC-PED was more sensitive than HPLC-RI and TLC, the rela tively high maltodextrin content of the enteral formulations resulted in re asonable agreement among results from quantitative determination of G(1) to G(7) by the three methods studied. Differences between methods were higher for compounds G(8) to G(11).