Combined quantitative 1H and 13C nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy for characterization of heparin preparations

The sulfation patterns of pig and bovine mucosal commercial heparin preparations can be characterized and distinguished from each other easily by analysis of their monodimensional proton and carbon nuclear magnetic resonance (H-1 and C-13-NMR) spectra. NMR spectroscopy can detect and quantify signals associated with major sequences as well as with minor residues such as the typical ones associated with the antithrombin (AT) binding sequence and the "linkage region." Contaminants arising from industrial preparation processes are also detectable.