Simultaneous determination of uronic acids, hexosamines, and galactose of glycosaminoglycans by gas-liquid chromatography.

A quantitative gas-liquid chromatographic method has been developed for the simultaneous determination of the several monosaccharides present in glycosaminoglycans from animal tissues. In order to achieve a high degree of depolymerization of the glycosaminoglycans, it was found necessary to make them more susceptible to methanolysis by re-N-acetylation during the methanolysis procedure. Good resolution of all common monosaccharides, such as pertrimethylsilyl methyl glycosides, was achieved by the use of a capillary column of fused silica with the liquid phase CPtm leads to Sil 5. The method described was tested on glycosaminoglycans isolated from bovine periodontal ligament and the sensitivity (down to 3 micrograms monosaccharide) makes this method useful in the analysis of small amounts of soft connective tissues with low glycosaminoglycan contents.