A defining feature of polysaccharides, which are used widely as food additives and for certain medical applications, is that they are naturally occurring and consequently prone to inherent variability. In this article, we discuss how advanced gel permeation/size exclusion chromatography (GPC/SEC) systems deliver the molecular weight and structural information needed to understand and control the performance of polysaccharides and ensure exemplary quality control.
Key Points:
- Naturally occurring polysaccharides such as derivatives of cellulose and starch, dextrans and renewable polymers (including xanthan gum, gum Arabic, hyaluronic acid and alginates) are widely used as food additives and for certain medical applications.
- The natural provenance of these materials means that they have inherent variability, making it difficult to ensure consistent product quality.
- Gel Permeation/Size Exclusion Chromatography (GPC/SEC) is a critical analytical technique for polysaccharides used to measure molecular weight, molecular weight distribution and structure. The results can be used to develop products with specific performance and ensure exemplary product quality.
- Flow injection polymer analysis (FIPA) is an ‘abbreviated’ form of GPC/SEC that can provides faster measurement for process monitoring and optimization.
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