High-Throughput Glycan Screening Using Hydrophilic Interaction Chromatography

The Application of Hydrophilic Interaction Chromatography in Glycan Analysis

Hydrophilic Interaction Chromatography (HILIC) is a powerful separation technique based on normal phase chromatography. It offers excellent retention capabilities for polar compounds, making it ideal for the separation and purification of polar molecules. HILIC is versatile and finds applications in a variety of areas, particularly in biomedicine and drug development. Its broad utility spans biomedical and drug development fields, facilitating the separation and detection of natural products, proteins, peptides, glycans, triglycerides, and pharmaceutical compounds. Notably, in drug development, HILIC plays a significant role in high-throughput screening (HTS). By utilizing HILIC for HTS, researchers can quickly screen numerous potentially active compounds to identify those with desirable activity profiles, significantly reducing the development cycle. Furthermore, HILIC allows for in vitro evaluation of crucial compound properties, such as solubility, pharmacokinetics, and safety. These assessments contribute to informed decision-making during the drug development process.

Fig.1 Principle of HILIC. (Jensen, 2013)

HILIC-based High-Throughput Glycan Screening Services at CD BioGlyco

CD BioGlyco provides our clients with high-throughput glycan screening services using HILIC. Our technicians effectively isolate glycans from complex glycan mixtures and perform glycan structure identification and analysis, such as monosaccharide composition, linkage patterns, and modifications, to help you screen for glycans with target structures in large mixtures. Glycan samples include glycan chains in blood, oligosaccharides in food samples, etc. Our screening process is as follows:

• First, prepare a complex glycans sample. This may involve extracting, purifying, and concentrating the glycan sample to obtain a sufficient sample volume for analysis. Ensure that the sample is free of impurities and interferents.
• The HILIC column is suitable for the sample selected according to the actual sample conditions. Prepare suitable mobile phases for HILIC analysis, and optimize the composition of mobile phases according to the polarity and separation effect of the samples.
• Prepared samples are injected into the HILIC system via an autosampler. Determine the appropriate elution conditions, including flow rate, gradient program, and temperature, according to the analytical requirements.
• The HILIC analysis program is run and the results are recorded using a UV/Visible spectral detector. After analysis, the multi-component structure is screened and identified based on information such as peak shape, retention time, and absorbance.
• Based on the results of data analysis, the multi-component structures in complex glycan samples are identified and quantified, and analytical reports are generated for submission to the clients.

Fig.2 Process of HILIC-based high-throughput glycan screening. (CD BioGlyco)

Applications

• By studying the structure and function of the glycan chain, scientists could gain insight into how the immune system works and develop novel vaccines and antibody drugs.
• Understanding the structure and mechanism of action of the glycans can help scientists optimize the design and selection of drug candidates.
• By analyzing the ability of microbes to metabolize sugar chains, researchers can understand how gut microbes interact with their hosts, and their impact on health and disease.

Advantages of Us

• HILIC can be used in conjunction with Mass Spectrometry to further improve the sensitivity and specificity of the analysis
• Reliable analysis results
• Complete technical consultation and after-sales service

CD BioGlyco offers best-in-class high-throughput glycan screening services based on HILIC. We carefully designed the experimental procedure to minimize reproducibility errors. Also, we employ carefully validated quality control measures to ensure the reliability and consistency of results. If you are interested in our services, please feel free to contact us for more details.