Romanian Society of Pharmaceutical Sciences
 

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STRUCTURAL INVESTIGATION OF RAW AND MODIFIED GLYCANS BY MALDI-TOF MASS SPECTROMETRY

LORETA-ANDREA BOJIN 1#, MARIUS GEORGESCU 1#, CAROLINA COJOCARU 2#, MIHAI-COSMIN PASCARIU 2,3, VICTOR LORIN PURCAREA 4, MIHAELA VIVIANA IVAN 1, MARIA PUIU 1, CRISTINA DEHELEAN 5, ALINA-FLORINA SERB 1*, EUGEN SISU 1, MIRCEA N. PENESCU 4

1.“Victor Babeș” University of Medicine and Pharmacy Timisoara, Faculty of Medicine, 2 Eftimie Murgu Square, Timișoara, Romania
2.“Vasile Goldiș” Western University of Arad, Faculty of Pharmacy, 86 Liviu Rebreanu Street, Arad, Romania
3.National Institute of Research & Development for Electrochemistry and Condensed Matter, 144 Aurel Păunescu Podeanu Street, Timișoara, Romania
4.“Carol Davila” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 37 Dionisie Lupu Street, Bucharest, Romania
5.“Victor Babeș” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Department of Toxicology, Timișoara, Romania

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The study of glycans which play essential roles in modulating cell functions, and the elucidation of their pattern variation both in health and disease states, promises to offer new diagnostic options, new bioactive compounds, as well as new targets for glycan-mediated therapeutic interventions enlightening important aspects in the field of ‘glycomedicine’. The present paper describes the procedure for obtaining and the analysis of a raw and a modified glycan, respectively. A maltodextrin functionalized with an amine linker is obtained through reductive amination, in the minimum possible number of steps and with the maximum possible yield. The isolation and purification of the basic glycan are also described. The extraction, isolation and purification of a neutral polysaccharide from the fruiting body of Fomes fomentarius by using ion exchange chromatography coupled with dialysis is also presented. Both the natural polysaccharide isolated from the mushroom and the glycan functionalized with hexamethylenediamine (HMD) were analysed by MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry in the positive ion mode. By combining chemical methods, TLC and mass spectrometry, the existence of a GalxMany heteropolysaccharide in the Fomes fomentarius neutral polysaccharides was revealed.