Monosaccharide composition analysis of polysaccharides from natural sources: Hydrolysis condition and detection method development

Monosaccharide composition analysis is indispensable for the structural characterization and bioactive studies of polysaccharides. Besides, it is also helpful for the quality control of functional polysaccharides. The process is usually carried out by hydrolyzing the polysaccharides into monosaccharides, and then detecting liberated monosaccharides or their derivatives. However, the accuracy is not guaranteed owing to improper experimental methods that result in the incomplete cleavage of glycosidic linkages, the instability of released monosaccharides and the deviation of detection. A main challenge of monosaccharide composition analysis is the lack of generally applicable hydrolysis and detection methods. Therefore, practical suggestions on how to determine monosaccharide composition of polysaccharides should be proposed. In this review, the hydrolysis conditions and detection methods, along with their usability and limitation, are thoroughly compared and summarized. Finally, future perspectives and remaining challenges in this field were outlined. This review will provide guidelines for monosaccharide composition analysis of polysaccharides from natural sources.