Quantitative Analysis of Acidic Polysaccharides Using Hydrophilic Interaction Chromatography and Mass Spectrometry after Acid Hydrolysis

Background: Acidic polysaccharides usually possess favorable bioactivities, and some of them are applied in medicines and dietary supplements together. However, it is a challenge to quantify these polysaccharides simultaneously. Methods: A method to Quantify Hyaluronic Acid (HA), Chondroitin Sulfate (CS) and a non-glycosaminoglycan acidic polysaccharide named AGSP was established by determining the contents of their disaccharides produced from the acid hydrolysis using hydrophilic interaction chromatography-tandem triple quadrupole mass spectrometry in the positive mode. Results: This method had excellent linearities in a concentration range of 0.02-2.00 mg/mL for these standard acidic polysaccharides, the recoveries were all 95%-112%, and relative standard deviations (RSDs) were less than 5%. Limit of Detection (LOD) and Limit of Quantification (LOQ) ranged from 0.1 mu g/mL to 4.1 mu g/mL. It could be inferred that the demonstrated method was feasible to quantitatively detect uronic acid-containing polysaccharides. Conclusion: This method could be a useful tool for quality control of medicines and dietary supplements containing these acidic polysaccharides.