THE SEPARATION, DETERMINATION, AND CHARACTERIZATION OF 2-AMINO-2-DEOXY-D-GLUCOSE (D-GLUCOSAMINE) AND 2-AMINO-2-DEOXY-D-GALACTOSE (D-GALACTOSAMINE) IN BIOLOGICAL MATERIALS BY GAS–LIQUID PARTITION CHROMATOGRAPHY

Abstract

A method for the separation, determination, and characterization of 2-amino-2-deoxy-D-glucose (D-glucosamine) and 2-amino-2-deoxy-D-galactose (D-galactosamine) is presented. Treatment of 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-α-D-glucose and 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-α-D-galactose in pyridine solution with trimethylchlorosilane and hexamethyldisilazane results in a rapid conversion of the glycoses to their respective trimethylsilyl 3,4,6-tri-O-trimethylsilyl-2-acetamido-2-deoxy-α-D-glycosides which are sufficiently stable and volatile to allow their separation and quantitative analysis to be made by gas–liquid partition chromatography. The two trimethylsilyl derivatives, collected by preparative gas–liquid partition chromatography, were crystalline compounds which had sharp melting points and characteristic infrared spectra and specific optical rotations. Quantitative analyses of mixtures of 2-amino-2-deoxy-D-glucose hydrochloride and 2-amino-2-deoxy-D-galactose hydrochloride were made by gas chromatographic analysis of their trimethylsilyl derivatives formed after prior conversion to their N-acetyl derivatives.The analytical procedure was applied to the characterization of 2-amino-2-deoxy-D-glucose in hyaluronic acid and 2-amino-2-deoxy-D-galactose in chondroitin sulphate. The quantitative procedure was also successfully applied to the analysis of mixtures of hyaluronic acid and chrondroitin sulphate by the gas–liquid partition chromatographic determination of the 2-amino-2-deoxy-D-glucose and 2-amino-2-deoxy-D-galactose in the hydrolyzates prepared from synthetic mixtures of the two mucopolysaccharides.