Shodex Column Options for Carbohydrate Analysis Compared to CarboPac PA1 and Aminex HPX-87P

Record: 625

Category: Column Selection
Product: SP0810 and KS-800 series
Sample: Carbohydrates

Question

A customer is currently using a CarboPac PA1 column with alkaline mobile phases and an Aminex HPX-87P column for carbohydrate analysis. Are there Shodex column alternatives, and can similar analyses be performed using existing Shodex applications?

Answer

The CarboPac PA1 is a strong anion-exchange column designed for carbohydrate analysis under highly alkaline mobile-phase conditions. Shodex does not offer a direct equivalent for this type of high-pH anion-exchange separation. However, in many cases, comparable carbohydrate analyses can be performed using ligand-exchange, HILIC, or size-exclusion chromatography, without the need for strongly alkaline eluents.

For applications currently using the Aminex HPX-87P (300 × 7.8 mm) column, a functional Shodex alternative is SUGAR SP0810, a Pb²⁺-form ligand-exchange sugar column designed for carbohydrate separations using water-based eluents. SP0810 is widely used for analysis of mono-, di-, and oligosaccharides in food and bioprocess samples, provided the sample matrix does not contain acids, chelating agents, or other ionic species that may interfere with Pb²⁺.

Depending on the specific carbohydrate targets, Shodex offers several column families that can be used to replace or simplify existing methods. Inulin and fructan-type carbohydrates can be analyzed using aqueous size-exclusion chromatography, while mono- and disaccharides are typically analyzed using ligand-exchange or HILIC-based columns. Oligosaccharides may be analyzed using either SEC or HILIC, depending on the required level of resolution and molecular-weight range.

Recommended Applications:

• Inulin Analysis (SEC- SB-806M)
  Demonstrates analysis of inulin-type carbohydrates using Shodex columns without alkaline eluents.
• Saccharide Elution Behavior (SUGAR Series – SP0810)
  Shows elution behavior of common mono- and disaccharides using ligand-exchange sugar columns.
• Oligosaccharide Analysis (SEC KS-800)
  Illustrates oligosaccharide analysis using aqueous SEC columns.

Additional Comments

Final column selection depends on the target carbohydrates, molecular-weight range, sample matrix, and detector type. In many cases, Shodex columns allow carbohydrate analysis under milder, non-alkaline conditions compared to CarboPac PA-series methods.

For a more tailored recommendation, please contact Shodex Technical Support with details of the target sugars and current method conditions at support@shodexhplc.com

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