Structural characterization of human milk oligosaccharides using ultrahigh performance liquid chromatography-helium charge transfer dissociation mass spectrometry.

The combination of helium charge transfer dissociation mass spectrometry (He-CTD-MS) with ultrahigh performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC) is presented for the analysis of a complex mixture of acidic and neutral human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs). The research focuses on the identification of the monosaccharide sequence, the branching patterns, the sialylation/fucosylation arrangements, and the differentiation of isomeric oligosaccharides in the mixture. Initial studies first optimized the conditions for the UHPLC separation and the He-CTD-MS conditions.

Structural Characterization of Natural and Synthetic Macrocycles Using Charge-Transfer Dissociation Mass Spectrometry.

Research in natural products (NPs) has gained interest as drug developers turn to nature to combat problems with drug resistance, drug delivery, and emerging diseases. Whereas NPs offer a tantalizing source of new pharmacologically active compounds, their structural complexity presents a challenge for analytical characterization and organic synthesis. Of particular concern is the characterization of cyclic-, polycyclic-, or macrocyclic compounds.

Ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography charge transfer dissociation mass spectrometry (UHPLC-CTD-MS) as a tool for analyzing the structural heterogeneity in carrageenan oligosaccharides.

Ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC) with charge transfer dissociation mass spectrometry (CTD-MS) is presented for the analysis of a mixture of complex sulfated oligosaccharides. The mixture contained kappa (κ), iota (ι), and lambda (λ) carrageenans that contain anhydro bridges, different degrees of sulfation ranging from one to three per dimer, different positioning of the sulfate groups along the backbone, and varying degrees of polymerization (DP) between 4 and 12. Optimization studies using standard mixtures of carrageenans helped establish the optimal conditions for online UHPLC-CTD-MS/MS analysis.

Quantitative Assessment of Six Different Reagent Gases for Charge Transfer Dissociation (CTD) of Biological Ions.

Charge transfer dissociation mass spectrometry (CTD-MS) has been shown to induce high energy fragmentation of biological ions in the gas phase and provide fragmentation spectra similar to extreme ultraviolet photodissociation (XUVPD). To date, CTD has typically employed helium cations with kinetic energies between 4-10 keV to initiate radical-directed fragmentation of analytes. However, as a reagent, helium has recently been listed as a critical mineral that is becoming scarcer and more expensive, so this study explored the potential for using cheaper and more readily available reagent gases.

Structural Characterization of Isomeric Oligogalacturonan Mixtures Using Ultrahigh-Performance Liquid Chromatography-Charge Transfer Dissociation Mass Spectrometry.

Pectins are natural polysaccharides made from galacturonic acid residues, and they are widely used as an excipient in food and pharmaceutical industries. The degree of methyl-esterification, the monomeric composition, and the linkage pattern are all important factors that influence the physical and chemical properties of pectins, such as the solubility. This work focuses on the successful online coupling of charge transfer dissociation-mass spectrometry (CTD-MS) with ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC) to differentiate isomers of oligogalacturonans derived from citrus pectins.

Structural Characterization of Sulfated Glycosaminoglycans Using Charge-Transfer Dissociation.

Glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) participate in a broad range of physiological processes, and their structures are of interest to researchers in structural biology and medicine. Although they are abundant in tissues and extracellular matrices, their structural heterogeneity makes them challenging analytes. Mass spectrometry, and more specifically, tandem mass spectrometry, is particularly well suited for their analysis.