Fluorophores and Chromophores for the Separation of Carbohydrates by Capillary Electrophoresis

Carbohydrates are known to be the most abundant assembly of biopolymers with immense diversity, as a consequence of the complex glycosylation processes that occur within living organisms. This complexity inevitably complicates the ability to study these structures (Wells et al., Science 291:2376–2378, 2001). Viral infection and tumor malignancy have been pinpointed as a result of subtle changes in the structure of oligosaccharides, implying the significance of carbohydrates and ultimately the importance of the field of glycobiology (Chen et al., Nat Med 3:866–871, 1997; Isogai et al. Cancer Res 56:3902–3908, 1996). In most cases capillary electrophoresis (CE) offers greater advantages for studying carbohydrates when compared to other techniques, resulting in utilization of smaller samples, better separation efficiency, and shorter separation time. Typical analysis of carbohydrates in CE requires incorporation of a chromophore or a fluorophore through derivatization, which in due course enhances sensitivity and can also improve the separation of the analytes. This chapter discusses the currently used derivatization procedures, their mechanisms, and the advantages of each approach. The discussion mainly focuses on the publications from 2003 to 2009.