High resolution capillary electrophoresis of oligosaccharide structural isomers

In this paper we report on high resolution capillary electrophoresis separation of structural isomers of oligosaccharides of biotechnology interest. Analysis of carbohydrate constituents of various plant and food sources of bioindustrial significance requires high-resolution characterization methods to distinguish between structural isomers of oligosaccharides built of monosaccharides linked together in various anomeric and positional configurations. Development of linkage specific enzymatic biodegradation processes is vital for a variety of applications in agricultural, food, pulp and paper, and other industries. To evaluate and optimize the activity of hundreds of different enzymes and microorganisms, along with their combinations, reliable and automated screening methods are required. In this study, a comprehensive analysis of very similar short oligosaccharide structural isomers has been demonstrated. Excellent resolution was achieved under suppressed electroosmotic flow conditions, employing dynamically coated fused silica capillary columns, in conjunction with a one-step fluorophore labeling procedure and sensitive laser-induced fluorescence detection.