Mass spectrometry for the analysis of highly charged sulfated carbohydrates

Sulfated polysaccharides and their oligosaccharide components play an important biological role in physiological and pathophysiological processes. Glycosaminoglycans, such as heparin, are currently used as pharmaceutical agents to control coagulation. Moreover, there are intensive efforts in developing rapid approaches for the analysis of such bioactive carbohydrates to assess their pharmacological activity and in glycomic applications. Soft ionization methods of mass spectrometry have been applied with recent success in the analysis of sulfated carbohydrates. This review will examine the application of mass spectrometry in the compositional analysis and structural characterization of these important highly charged molecules.