Glycosyl Composition Analysis by GC-MS

Purpose:
Qualitative and quantitative determination of the monosaccharide composition of glycoconjugate, oligosaccharide, or polysaccharide samples.

Methods Used:                                                                                                      

 Glycosyl composition analysis was performed by combined gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) of the per-O-trimethylsilyl (TMS) derivatives of the monosaccharide methyl glycosides produced from the sample by acidic methanolysis, and which is usually used for the carbohydrate composition of samples originating from plants or microbes.

This analysis tests for the following carbohydrates:
arabinose                            rhamnose
fucose                                 xylose
glucuronic acid                    galacturonic acid
mannose                             galactose
glucose                               N-acetyl-mannosamine
N-acetyl-galactosamine      N-acetyl-glucosamine

Amount of Sample Required for Analysis:
If you have no knowledge of the nature of the sugar constituents of your sample and you desire a complete composition analysis, a minimum of 100 micrograms of carbohydrate is required. If you have considerably smaller amounts of carbohydrate sample, we can make special arrangements to determine the composition of your sample. Please contact us to discuss your specific requirements, and do not let limited sample amount deter you from requesting our services.

General Criteria for Sample Preparation:
Samples must be free of salts. If the sample is a glycoprotein, it can be dialyzed and then lyophilized. If the sample is an oligosaccharide, it can be desalted by size-exclusion chromatography on a Bio-Gel P-2 or Sephadex G-10 column.