Function without structures: The need for in-depth analysis of dietary carbohydrates

Carbohydrates make up the largest component of plant-based foods and have long been known to provide fuel. However, many carbohydrates possess intrinsic biological activities that are dictated by their structures. Carbohydrates are the most abundant biopolymers in nature and are also the most structurally complicated and diverse. Consequently, the structural analysis of carbohydrates remains severely limited. To further understand their biological activities, we need new analytical tools to analyze the different classes of carbohydrates that range in size from monosaccharides to polysaccharides. These tools must be capable of rapid throughput with highly sensitive quantitation for use in clinical studies that probe their fate in human and animal fluids and tissues.