Application of high-performance capillary electrophoresis to the purification process of Escherichia coli K4 polysaccharide.

The high-performance capillary electrophoresis (HPCE) (electrokinetic chromatography with sodium dodecyl sulphate) technique was applied to the extraction and purification process of the K4 polysaccharide from cultured bacteria in several stages. HPCE proved to be a technique with high resolution and sensitivity in analyzing K4 polysaccharide during its purification, in particular by using a strong anion-exchange resin. This is of paramount importance to monitor the product during the extraction and purification process or to test the purity of the final product. Furthermore, HPCE is able to verify that the extraction and purification process adopted is not carried out under drastic conditions capable of inducing fructose removal from the polysaccharide backbone.