MALDI-MS and HPLC quantification of oligosaccharides of lichenase-hydrolyzed water-soluble beta-glucan from ten barley varieties.

This study is the first to apply matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (MALDI-MS) to both qualitative and quantitative analyses of oligosaccharides of lichenase-hydrolyzed water-soluble beta-glucan from barley. Compared to high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with an evaporative light-scattering detector, MALDI-MS is a rapid technique with high accuracy and sensitivity and could be used to assess primary structural features of water-soluble beta-glucan from different barley varieties.