Determination of maltitol, isomaltitol, and lactitol by high-pH anion-exchange chromatography with pulsed amperometric detection

Disaccharide alditols (DAs) such as maltitol, isomaltitol, and lactitol are increasingly being employed in food industry by virtue of their low hydroscopicity, high stability, and good bulking properties. Still, these compounds are reduced-calorie sweeteners, so they are successfully employed in many dietetic foods, like candies, chocolates, baked products; ice! creams, and beverages. sere we describe the determination of maltitol, isomaltitol, and lactitol, along with other common carbohydrates, in some foodstuffs such as toffees, biscuits, creams, sponge cakes, chocolates, roasted malt, and chicory leaves. Separations were accomplished by high-ps anion-exchange chromatography (HPAEC) with pulsed amperometric detection using 40 mM NaOH + 1 mM Ba(CH3COO)(2) as the mobile phase. The optimal detection potential (E-DET = +0.10 V) was established in voltammetric experiments carried out in batch and flowing stream solutions. Under optimized conditions there was no need for both postcolumn addition of strong bases to the eluent and, even more important, column regeneration between runs. A pellicular column with a relatively low ion-exchange capacity was adopted, which allows a rapid separation of sorbitol, isomaltitol, lactitol, maltitol, glucose, fructose, sucrose, and lactose. The presence in the alkaline mobile phase of barium ions improved selectivity and reproducibility besides shorter analysis times as well. Limits of detection were on time order of 10-20 pmol injected. The contents of DAs and other free sugars in some dietetic foods were evaluated by calibration graphs.