STABILITY OF SUPERDEX-75 PREP GRADE AND SUPERDEX-200 PREP GRADE UNDER DIFFERENT CHROMATOGRAPHIC CONDITIONS

The chemical stability of two gel filtration media, Superdex 75 prep grade and Superdex 200 prep grade, was studied in bulk and column experiments. The release of agarose and dextran from these two composite media was measured by three different methods: a specific nephelometric method based on the use of antidextran antiserum, an anthrone method and a gel filtration chromatographic method with a light-scattering detector. Dextran fragments were released from Superdex 75 and 200 prep grade under extreme basic and acidic conditions. However, Superdex withstands many short-term incubations (contact time ca. 4 h each time) at pH 14 and 1 without any influence on the chromatographic behaviour. Equilibration of a Superdex column with a neutral buffer after these short-term treatments lowered the concentration of dextran in the eluate to an undetectable level after about three bed volumes. The ability of Superdex columns to withstand practical mistakes such as pumping air into the column was also investigated.