Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry method for the determination of the reducing end of oligo- and polysaccharides

Abstract A gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GCMS) method for determining oligo- and polysaccharide reducing end-groups has been developed. This method, which is based on the monitoring of ions unique to the fragmentation of deuterated alditol acetates in mixtures also containing sugar acetates, can be used to identify the end-group and the degree of polymerization (DP). For the first time, GCMS can be used in these types of analyses for polysaccharides of DP 100 or greater.