Systematic analysis of oxidative degradation of polysaccharides using PAGEand HPLC-MS

Oxidation of polysaccharides yields hydroxyaldehydes and hydroxycarboxylic acids. Aldehydes and carboxylic acids were separately conjugated to 8-amino naphthalene-1,3,6-trisulfonic acid (ANTS) or tyrosine t-butyl ester (TBT). The ANTS-labeled derivatives were separated by molecular size on PAGE gels and detected by fluorescence. TBT-labeled derivatives were separated by rev erse phase chromatography on a C-18-HPLC column and analyzed by positive io n electrospray mass spectroscopy (HPLC-MS). This combination of procedures allowed a systematic analysis of carbohydrate oxidation products. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.