Analysis of carbohydrates in marine particulates by gas chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry

Abstract

The use of a derivatization procedure for the measurement of aldoses by forming alditol acetates by strong acid hydrolysis is described. Quantitative data based on standard mixtures of neutral sugars were obtained by capillary gas chromatography and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry using phenyl-β-D-glucopyranoside as an internal standard. Tandem mass spectrometry was used for the structural elucidation of complex saccharide mixtures. In order to differentiate between alditol acetates, i.e., hexitols, pentitols and deoxyhexitols, the collision-activated reactions m/z 361→259, 303→201 and 217→115 were monitored by the Q sector of a VG-AutospecQ mass spectrometer. The method was applied to the study of the composition of polysaccharides in particulate organic matter and macroaggregates in the northern Adriatic Sea.