Rapid Quantification of Functional Carbohydrates in Food Products

Abstract

Current research on milk bioactive components, including complex oligosaccharides, stimulated development of novel milk-based ingredients; this in turn sparked the development of methods that are simultaneously simple and sensitive. Oligosaccharides and glycoproteins present interesting health benefits, including antibacterial and antiviral effects, stimulation of the immune system, and participation in the establishment of a balanced gut microbiome in infants. This work describes the application of a simple and rapid method—Total Carbohydrate Assay—to the determination of functional carbohydrate content in various dairy-based functional products. The miniaturization and optimization of the carbohydrate quantification on microplates afforded good repeatability and sensitivity. The optimized method consumed only minimal amounts of reagents and samples, and carbohydrates were detected in the range from 0 - 20 µg. This assay was successfully applied to determine the content of complicated oligosaccharide mixtures and N-glycans in dairy-derived products. Several complementary analytical techniques were applied to confirm the results. This method is faster and far less expensive than mass spectrometry and it gives a general picture of complex carbohydrate concentrations for instances in which detailed data are not required as needed for research in discrete differences among various biological samples. The ability to quantify glycans in novel food products will provide a unique understanding of the potential of these novel ingredients for use by the food industry.