Separation of mucin oligosaccharide-alditols by high performance liquid chromatography on alkylamine-bonded silica columns. Effects of structural parameters.

Forty five oligosaccharide-alditols, purified after reductive beta-elimination of human bronchial mucins, were analyzed by HPLC on alkylamine-bonded silica column (Lichrosorb-NH2). The comparison of their structural features and retention times permitted the extension of some previous findings. The chromatographic behavior of the oligosaccharide depends more on the accessibility of oligosaccharide hydroxyl groups than on the sugar composition. The use of this type of fractionation is very efficient for low-molecular-mass oligosaccharide-alditols but needs to be completed by a second chromatographic step for higher molecular-mass oligosaccharide-alditols.