DETERMINATION OF OLIGOSACCHARIDES IN FOODS, DIETS, AND INTESTINAL CONTENTS BY HIGH-TEMPERATURE GAS-CHROMATOGRAPHY AND GAS-CHROMATOGRAPHY MASS-SPECTROMETRY

A rapid and simple gas chromatographic (GC) method was developed for the quantitative determination of oligosaccharides in foods, diets, and intestinal contents. The method includes extraction of oligosaccharides with water, clean up with chloroform/methanol, reduction with KBH4, neutralization with HAc, methylation with iodomethane in dimethyl sulfoxide and NaOH powder, and analysis by high-temperature capillary gas chromatography with ultrathin stationary phases. Oligosaccharides with two to seven sugar units were quantified and identified by GC and GC/MS. Fructooligosaccharides with up to 12 sugar units were analyzed by GC/MS. The GC method gave reproducible values when applied to rapeseed meal, mung beans, soybeans, chickpeas, red lentils, soy diet, and intestinal contents.