Analysis of partially methyl-esterified galacturonic acid oligomers by high-performance anion-exchange chromatography and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry.

Two methods were developed to detect partially methyl-esterified galacturonic acid oligomers, generated by endopolygalacturonase treatment of a 30% methyl-esterified pectin. The enzyme digest was shown, by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry, to contain sodiated galacturonic acid oligomers with a degree of polymerization of 2-12, containing 0-6 methyl esters. Galacturonic acid (monomer) could not be detected because of matrix ions interference in the low mass region. Using high-performance anion-exchange chromatography, with a sodium acetate gradient at pH 5.0 and postcolumn sodium hydroxide addition to allow pulsed amplified detection, a complex elution profile was obtained with the endopolygalacturonase-treated 30% methyl-esterified pectin. All the components eluted before nonesterified tetragalacturonic acid. The partially methyl-esterified oligogalacturonic acids eluted in a discernible series of oligomers with an identical number of nonesterified carboxylic acid groups; the large, more esterified oligomers eluted before small, less esterified oligomers. The methyl esters may hinder the interaction of the neighboring carboxylic acid groups with the anion-exchange resin, thereby giving the components an apparent lower overall negative charge.