Determination of reducing and non-reducing carbohydrates in food products by liquid chromatography with post-column catalytic hydrolysis and derivatization. Comparison with refractive index detection.

Post-column catalytic hydrolysis combined with 4-aminobenzoic acid hydrazide derivatization is employed for the determination of both reducing and non-reducing carbohydrates in a variety of complex sample matrices such as dairy products, processed foods and tobaccos. Comparison with refractive index detection shows the post-column method to be superior from the standpoint of selectivity, sensitivity and simplicity of sample preparation. Limits of detection are in the low-nanogram range. Quantitative results are presented for the determination of sugars in potato extracts. The method is also applicable for the separation and detection of carbohydrate oligomers.