ABSTRACT
Carbohydrates are an important energy source and are involved in the structure of proteins. Alkylamino modified silica gels, especially those modified with the propylamino group, are now widely used for the separation of mono-and oligosaccharides. Although cation-exchange resins that contain about 4% divinylbenzene are physically soft, the high performance of such a column is very effective for analyzing mixtures of oligo- and monosaccharides. Octadecyl-bonded silica gel, which is an especially effective packing for the chromatography of nonpolar compounds, can be used for the chromatography of some underivatized and derivatized saccharides. A refractive index detector is commonly used for the direct monitoring of carbohydrates. Fluorescence is a powerful detection method in the separation of saccharides in a borate buffer.
