Carbohydrates can be divided into digestible carbohydrates such as sucrose or oligofructose and indigestible carbohydrates such as dietary fiber.
Digestible carbohydrates are routinely analyzed by high-performance anion chromatography (HPAEC) with pulsed amperometric detection (PAD).
It is a very selective and sensitive method for the separation of carbohydrates in an alkaline medium on an anion exchange column. The separated carbohydrates are then detected electrochemically. The working range is between 1 and 20 mg/L.
In combination with various enzymatic hydrolyses, the following parameters can be determined by HPAEC-PAD:
- Sugar spectrum of free mono-, di-, and trisaccharides
- Net carbohydrates according to Journal of AOAC International, vol. 88, no. 3, 2005
- Fructooligosaccharide or oligofructose according to Journal of AOAC International, vol. 83, no. 2, 2000
- Trans-galactooligosaccharides (TGOS) according to AOAC Official Method 2001.02
