Saccharide mapping apparatus for real-time PAGE detection of polysaccharides.

Introduction: As a key technique in saccharide mapping, polysaccharides analysis using carbohydrate gel electrophoresis (PACE) analysis platform has always been self-assembled and built in various laboratories independently, but there is no unified commercial analysis instrument platform so far.

Objective: This research aimed to establish an integrated commercially viable PACE analysis platform to standardize the application of PACE in the field of saccharides analysis and the quality control of polysaccharides.

Methods: We established an online detection platform of saccharide-mapping apparatus (SMA) and took advantage of it to characterize the oligosaccharides for quality control of polysaccharides in herbal medicine. The polysaccharides from Gastrodia elata Bl. were finally selected to verify the potential of SMA including precision, repeatability, stability, and sensitivity.

Results: The online detection platform of SMA was more integrated and commercially viable, which can investigate oligosaccharides from polysaccharides after hydrolysis more quickly and accurately for quality control. Consequently, it could enable real-time monitoring of oligosaccharide migration, facilitate the determination of the optimal endpoint of polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE), and improve the sensitivity of PACE. In addition, the refrigeration device configured in SMA can solve the problem of temperature fluctuation caused by joule heat during gel electrophoresis, which greatly enhances the separation resolution. Finally, the proposed platform was applied to real samples of polysaccharides from Gastrodia elata Bl., and the results successfully distinguished the polysaccharides from Gastrodia elata Bl. with different cultivars.

Conclusion: The developed online detection platform of SMA offers a rapid and convenient approach for quality control of polysaccharides in Chinese medicines and can be applied for future advancements toward commercialization.