Column Selection for Sugar, Amino Sugar, and Amino Acid Analysis

Record: 666

Category: Column Selection
Product: NH2P-50 4E and VG-50 4E
Sample: Sugars, amino sugars, amino acids

Question

What Shodex column is recommended for analysis of sugars, amino sugars, and amino acids?

Answer

For samples containing sugars and amino sugars, Shodex Asahipak NH2P-50 4E is a practical and widely used starting column, particularly when using ELSD detection. NH2P-50 4E operates under HILIC-type conditions with acetonitrile/water mobile phases and provides retention and separation for highly polar carbohydrates that are difficult to analyze by reversed-phase methods.

When the sample also contains amino acids, separation typically becomes more complex due to differences in polarity and ionization behavior, and gradient elution is often required. In these cases, HILICpak VG-50 2D is a suitable option, especially for LC-MS–based analysis, as it enables simultaneous analysis of saccharides, organic acids, and amino acids using MS-compatible mobile phases.

Compared with ligand-exchange SUGAR series columns, NH2P-50 4E and VG-50 2D provide broader applicability for mixed analyte classes and simpler method development when ELSD or LC-MS detection is used.

Recommended Applications:

• Saccharides and Amino Sugars (NH2P-50 4E)
  Demonstrates separation of saccharides and aminosugars using NH2P-50 4E under HILIC conditions with ELSD detection.
• Simultaneous Analysis of Saccharides, Organic Acids, and Amino Acids by LC-MS (VG-50 2D)
  Demonstrates a single LC-MS method for saccharides, organic acids, and amino acids using HILICpak VG-50 2D.

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