Rapid and sensitive screening of N-glycans as 9-fluorenylmethyl derivatives by high-performance liquid chromatography: a method which can recover free oligosaccharides after analysis

There are a large number of labeling methods for asparagine-type oligosaccharides with fluorogenic and chromophoric reagents. We have to choose the most appropriate labeling method based on the purposes such as mass spectrometry, high-performance liquid chromatography and capillary electrophoresis. Asparagine-type glycans are released from core proteins as N-glycosylamine at the initial step of the releasing reaction when glycoamidase F is employed as the enzyme. The N-glycosylamine-type oligosaccharides thus released by the enzyme are subjected to hydrolysis or mutarotation to form free-form oligosaccharides. In the detailed studies on the enzyme reaction, we found a condition in which the released N-glycosylamine-type oligosaccharides were exclusively present at least during the course of enzyme reaction, and developed a method for in situ derivatization of the glycosylamine-type oligosaccharides with 9-fluorenylmethyl chloroformate (Fmoc-Cl). The Fmoc labeled sialo- and asialo- (or high-mannose and hybrid) oligosaccharides were successfully analyzed on an amine-bonded polymer column and amide-silica column, respectively. The present method showed approximately 5 times higher sensitivities than that using 2-aminobenzoic acid (2-AA). The separation profile was similar to that observed using 2-AA method as examined by the analyses of carbohydrate chains derived from several glycoproteins including complex-type, high-mannose type and hybrid type of N-linked oligosaccharides. The labeled oligosaccharides were stable at least for several months when stored at -20 degrees C. Furthermore, it should be emphasized that the Fmoc-derivatized oligosaccharides could be easily recovered as free reducing oligosaccharides simply by incubation with morpholine in dimethylformamide solution. We obtained a pure triantennary oligosaccharide with 3 sialic acid residues as a free reducing form from fetuin in good yield after isolation of the corresponding Fmoc oligosaccharide followed by removing reaction of the Fmoc group. The proposed method will be useful for preparation of free oligosaccharides as standard samples at pmol-nmol scale from commercially available glycoproteins.     

Structural characterization of fucose-containing oligosaccharides by high-performance liquid chromatography and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry

Eight pyridylamino (PA) derivatives of fucose-containing oligosaccharides, which occur as free oligosaccharides in human milk and also are derived from glycosphingolipids, have been analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) on normal-phase and reversed-phase columns, and by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometry. Six out of eight PA-oligosaccharides were clearly separated by both normal- and reversed-phase HPLC at a column temperature of 40 degrees C, but two PA-oligosaccharides, lacto-N-fucopentaose II [Gal beta1-3(Fuc alpha1-4)GlcNAc beta1-3Gal beta1-4GIcPA] and lacto-N-fucopentaose III [Gal beta1-4(Fuc alpha1-3)GlcNAc beta1-3Gal beta1-4GIcPA], were not separated. The two unresolved PA-oligosaccharides were finally separated by reversed-phase HPLC at a column temperature of 11 degrees C. MALDI-TOF mass spectra of PA-oligosaccharides demonstrated pseudo-molecular ions as the predominant signals, therefore information about the molecular mass of each PA-oligosaccharide was easily obtained. Post-source decay (PSD) MALDI-TOF mass spectra of PA-oligosaccharides gave information about the carbohydrate sequences and carbohydrate species of each PA-oligosaccharide by detecting the ions responsible for the cleavage of the glycosidic bonds. The detection limits of the PA-oligosaccharides by HPLC, MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry, and PSD MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry were 20 fmol, 20 fmol, and 2 pmol, respectively. These results suggest that a system including HPLC and MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry or HPLC and PSD MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry is quite useful for the structural characterization of sub-pmol or pmol levels of fucose-containing oligosaccharides, and that these methods could be used for the analysis of various types of oligosaccharides derived from glycoproteins and glycosphingolipids.     

Quantitative analysis of oligosaccharide structure of glycoproteins

A sensitive and quantitative method for the structural analysis of oligosaccharide was established for the glycoform analysis of glycoproteins. In this study,N-linked oligosaccharides of human IgG and bovine transferrin were analyzed for the evaluation of the method. Carbohydrate moiety of glycoprotein was released by hydrazinolysis and purified by paper chromatography. The oligosaccharides were labeled with a fluorescent dye, 2-aminobenzamide, for the enhancement of detection sensitivity. Sialylated (acidic) oligosaccharides were separated from neutral oligosaccharide by employing a strong anion-exchange column (MonoO) followed by the treatment with sialidase. Enzymatically desialyated fractions and neutral fractions of oligosaccharides were applied to normal-phase HPLC to resolve the peaks according to glucose unit (GU). The structure of separated molecules was further determined by sequential digestion with exoglycosidases. As a result, disialylated biantennary complextype oligo saccharide was found to be a major sugar chain in bovine transferrin (63%). In human IgG, core fucosylated asialobiantennary complex oligosaccharides were dominant. These results coincided well with reported results.     

Fluorometric analysis of amino sugars and derivatized neutral sugars

A rapid and sensitive procedure for the analysis of neutral and amino sugars is presented. Neutral sugars are separated after conversion to the corresponding glycamines, while the amino sugars are analyzed without modification, using an automatic amino acid analyzer and fluorometric detection. The method has been applied for the analysis of glycoproteins and oligosaccharides of the complex and high-mannose types.     

High resolution and high sensitivity methods for oligosaccharide mapping and characterization by normal phase high performance liquid chromatography following derivatization with highly fluorescent anthranilic acid

Facile labeling of oligosaccharides (acidic and neutral) in a nonselective manner was achieved with highly fluorescent anthranilic acid (AA, 2-aminobenzoic acid) (more than twice the intensity of 2- aminobenzamide, AB) for specific detection at very high sensitivity. Quantitative labeling in acetate-borate buffered methanol (approximately pH 5.0) at 80 degreesC for 60 min resulted in negligible or no desialylation of the oligosaccharides. A high resolution high performance liquid chromatographic method was developed for quantitative oligosaccharide mapping on a polymeric-NH2bonded (Astec) column operating under normal phase and anion exchange (NP-HPAEC) conditions. For isolation of oligosaccharides from the map by simple evaporation, the chromatographic conditions developed use volatile acetic acid-triethylamine buffer (approximately pH 4.0) systems. The mapping and characterization technology was developed using well characterized standard glycoproteins. The fluorescent oligosaccharide maps were similar to the maps obtained by the high pH anion-exchange chromatography with pulsed amperometric detection (HPAEC-PAD), except that the fluorescent maps contained more defined peaks. In the map, the oligosaccharides separated into groups based on charge, size, linkage, and overall structure in a manner similar to HPAEC-PAD with contribution of -COOH function from the label, anthranilic acid. However, selectivity of the column for sialic acid linkages was different. A second dimension normal phase HPLC (NP-HPLC) method was developed on an amide column (TSK Gel amide-80) for separation of the AA labeled neutral complex type and isomeric structures of high mannose type oligosaccharides. The oligosaccharides labeled with AA are compatible with biochemical and biophysical techniques, and use of matrix assisted laser desorption mass spectrometry for rapid determination of oligosaccharide mass map of glycoproteins is demonstrated. High resolution of NP-HPAEC and NP-HPLC methods combined with mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF) can provide an effective technology for analyzing a wide repertoire of oligosaccharide structures and for determining the action of both transferases and glycosidases.      

Measurement of kynurenic acid in mammalian brain extracts and cerebrospinal fluid by high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorometric and coulometric electrode array detection

Kynurenic acid is a broad-spectrum excitatory amino acid (EAA) receptor antagonist which is present in the mammalian central nervous system. We describe a method for the measurement of kynurenic acid using isocratic reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with fluorometric detection enhanced by Zn2+ as a postcolumn reagent. The method requires no prior sample preparation procedures other than extraction with 0.1 M HClO4. The reliability of the primary fluorometric method was verified by comparing measurements of tissue concentrations of kynurenic acid in human cerebral cortex and putamen using three different methods of separation with fluorometric detection, as well as four methods utilizing HPLC with coulometric electrode array system (CEAS) detection. All seven methods produced comparable results. The concentration of kynurenic acid in human cerebral cortex was 2.07 +/- 0.61 pmol/mg protein, and in human putamen, 3.38 +/- 0.81 pmol/mg protein. Kynurenic acid was also found to be present in human cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) at a concentration of 5.09 +/- 1.04 nM. The regional distribution of kynurenic acid in the rat brain was examined. Kynurenic acid concentrations were highest in brainstem (149.6 fmol/mg protein) and olfactory bulb (103.9 fmol/mg protein) and lowest in thalamus (26.0 fmol/mg protein). There were no significant postmortem changes in kynurenic acid concentrations in cerebral cortex, hippocampus, and striatum at intervals ranging from 0 to 24 h. Perfusion of the cerebral vasculature with normal saline prior to sacrifice did not significantly alter kynurenic acid content in rat hippocampus, cerebral cortex, or striatum. The analytical methods described are the most sensitive (10-30 fmol injection-1) and specific (utilizing both excitation and emissions properties and electrochemical reaction potentials, respectively) methods for determining kynurenic acid in brain tissue extracts and CSF. These methods should prove useful in examining whether kynurenic acid modulates EAA-mediated neurotransmission under physiologic conditions, as well as in determining the role of kynurenic acid in excitotoxic neuronal death.     

A sensitive high-performance liquid chromatographic procedure with fluorometric detection for the analysis of decarboxylated S-adenosylmethionine and analogs in urine samples

A highly sensitive HPLC method for the determination of decarboxylated S-adenosylmethionine (dc-SAM) by fluorometric detection was developed. The reaction of dc-SAM and its analogs with chloroacetaldehyde leads to the corresponding 1,N6-etheno derivatives. These highly fluorescent derivatives were fully characterized through their proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectra and/or mass spectra. This derivatization procedure has been applied to the analysis of dc-SAM in rat and human urine. After a simple cation exchange column prepurification, the urine extracts were derivatized with chloroacetaldehyde and analyzed by reversed-phase HPLC with fluorometric detection. The method allowed the determination of subpicomole amounts of dc-SAM and was shown to be highly reproducible with the use of decarboxylated S-adenosylethionine as internal standard. The application of the method to the analysis of urine of rats treated with MDL 72175, a potent ornithine decarboxylase inhibitor, showed that the dc-SAM levels increased in a dose-related fashion.     

Fluorometric high-performance liquid chromatography of N-acetyl- and N-glycolylneuraminic acids and its application to their microdetermination in human and animal sera, glycoproteins, and glycolipids

A simple, rapid, and highly sensitive high-performance liquid chromatographic method is described for the determination of N-acetyl- and N-glycolylneuraminic acids in human and animal sera, glycoproteins, and glycolipids. The neuraminic acids, released by acid hydrolysis of these biological samples, are converted in dilute sulfuric acid with 1,2-diamino-4,5-methylene-dioxybenzene, a fluorogenic reagent for alpha-keto acids, to highly fluorescent derivatives. The derivatives are separated within 12 min on a reversed-phase column (Radial-Pak cartridge C18) with an isocratic elution and detected fluorometrically. The detection limits are 25 fmol (7.7 pg) for N-acetylneuraminic acid and 23 fmol (7.5 pg) for N-glycolylneuraminic acid in a 10-microliter injection volume at a signal-to-noise ratio of 2. This method permits precise determination of the neuraminic acids in 5 microliter of human and animal sera or in 0.25-2.5 micrograms of glycoproteins and glycolipids.     

Microdetermination of hyaluronan in human plasma by high-performance liquid chromatography with a graphitized carbon column and postcolumn fluorometric detection

A chemical method for the determination of hyaluronan (hyaluronic acid, HA) has been developed and applied to the human blood plasma. Human blood plasma HA was converted to the ΔDi-HA by digestion with hyaluronidase SD and determined by a sensitive and selective high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The HPLC includes the separation and detection of ΔDi-HA using a graphitized carbon column and fluorometric reaction with 2-cyanoacetamide in an alkaline eluent. The calibration graph for ΔDi-HA was linear over the range 0.2 ng-1 μg. It was revealed that the concentration of HA in normal human blood plasma is very low levels (about 24 ng/ml) in comparison to low-sulfated chondroitin 4-sulfate (about 13 μg/ml).     

Unique anthranilic acid chemistry facilitates profiling and characterization of Ser/Thr-linked sugar chains following hydrazinolysis

A novel method for the analysis of Ser/Thr-linked sugar chains was made possible by the virtue of unique anthranilic acid (AA, 2-aminobenzoic acid [2AA]) chemistry for labeling carbohydrates in aqueous salt solutions (K. R. Anumula, Anal. Biochem. 350 (2006) 1-23). The protocol for profiling of Ser/Thr carbohydrates by hydrazinolysis was made simple by eliminating intermediary isolation steps involved in a sample preparation such as desalting and various chromatographic purification schemes. A 6-h hydrazinolysis was carried out at 60 degrees C for O-linked oligosaccharides and at 95 degrees C for total oligosaccharides (N-linked with some O-linked). Following evaporation of hydrazine (<10 min), the oligosaccharides were N-acetylated and derivatized with AA in the same reaction mixture containing salts. Presumably, the glycosyl-hydrazines/hydrazones present in the mixture did not interfere with AA labeling. Because AA is the most fluorescent and highly reactive tag for labeling carbohydrates, the procedures described are suitable for the analysis of a limited amount of samples ( approximately 5 microg) by the current high-resolution high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) methods. HPLC conditions developed for the separation of O-linked sugar chains based on size on an amide column were satisfactory for quantitative profiling and characterization. Common O-linked sugar chains found in fetuin, equine chorionic gonadotropin, and glycophorin can be analyzed in less than 50 min. In addition, these fast profiling methods were comparable to profiling by PNGase F (peptide N-glycosidase from Flavobacterium meningosepticum) digestion in terms of time, effort, and simplicity and also were highly reproducible for routine testing. The procedures for the release of sugar chains by hydrazinolysis at the microgram level, labeling with fluorescent tag AA, and profiling by HPLC should be useful in characterization of carbohydrates found in glycoproteins.     

Determination of d-amphetamine in biological samples using high-performance liquid chromatography after precolumn derivatization with o-phthaldialdehyde and 3-mercaptopropionic acid

An HPLC method is described for the determination of amphetamine using fluorometric detection after derivatization with o-phthaldialdehyde and 3-mercaptopropionic acid. This procedure is more sensitive (detection limit 370 fmol in microdialysate buffer standards, 1.5 pmol in extracted plasma and tissue samples) than most of the previous methods described for the determination of amphetamine with HPLC-fluorescence detection. Due to the stability of the derivative it is also suitable for autosampling after manual derivatization. Investigators currently using o-phthaldialdehyde derivatization and fluorometric detection for amino acid determination should be able to rapidly implement this method.     

Rapid and simple preparation of N-linked oligosaccharides by cellulose-column chromatography.

As a means of preparing N-linked oligosaccharides from hydrazinolysates of glycoproteins in a rapid and simple manner, a method has been developed using cellulose-column chromatography. Hydrazinolysates of human IgG, containing a series of biantennary complex type oligosaccharides, were applied to a cellulose column equilibrated with (4:1:1, v/v) 1-butanol-ethanol-water. The N-linked oligosaccharides were eluted with (1:1, v/v) ethanol-water, and analyzed by HPLC in combination with sequential glycosidase digestion. The oligosaccharides, with or without sialic acid, were quantitatively recovered in the fraction eluted with (1:1, v/v) ethanol-water without UV-detectable contamination by impurities derived from protein or the cellulose. Other types of N-linked oligosaccharides of alpha1-acid glycoprotein (tetraantennary complex-type), ovalbumin (hybrid-type), and ribonuclease B (high mannose-type) were also quantitatively prepared from the hydrazinolysates by elution of the cellulose column with (1:1, v/v) ethanol-water and these had as high a quality as those prepared by conventional paper chromatography.     

Chromatographic separation of asparagine-linked oligosaccharides labeled with an ultravioletabsorbing compound,p-aminobenzoic acid ethyl ester

We have expanded on the suitability ofp-aminobenzoic acid ethyl ester as an ultraviolet-absorbing reagent [Wanget al., (1984) Anal Biochem 141:366–81] for the analysis of asparagine-linked oligosaccharides derived from glycoproteins. The oligosaccharides released from glycoproteins by hydrazinolysis/N-reacetylation were derivatized withp-aminobenzoic acid ethyl ester and the derivatives were purified and separated into neutral and acidic oligosaccharides on a PRE-SEP C₁₈ cartridge. The acidic oligosaccharides could be further separated into a few species by high-voltage paper electrophoresis. p-Aminobenzoic acid ethyl ester derivatives of neutral oligosaccharides were analyzed by gel permeation chromatography on Bio-Gel P-4 and HPLC on a silica-based amide column. The elution profile and the proportion of the oligosaccharides were in agreement with literature values. The overall yield of oligosaccharides from glycoproteins was approximately 70%. Fifty pmol of oligosaccharide were detectable on Bio-Gel P-4 and 4–5 pmol on HPLC.Abbreviations HPLC high performance liquid chromatography - NABEE p-aminobenzoic acid ethyl ester - FAB-MS fast-atom bombardment mass spectrometry - (GlcNAc)₂, (GlcNAc)₃, (GlcNAc)₄, (GlcNAc)₅ and (GlcNAc)₆ chito-oligosaccharides containing 2,3,4,5 and 6 residues ofN-acetylglucosamine     

High-performance liquid chromatography determination of methionine adenosyltransferase activity using catechol-O-methyltransferase-coupled fluorometric detection

A nonradioactive, sensitive, rapid, and specific method for the determination of methionine adenosyltransferase activity has been established. In this method, the methyl group of S-adenosyl-L-methionine was enzymatically transferred to esculetin with the aid of catechol-O-methyltransferase and then the resulting scopoletin was extracted with n-hexane:ethyl acetate (7:3, v/v) and measured by high-performance liquid chromatography with Si 60 column and fluorometric detection with excitation and emission wavelengths at 347 and 415 nm, respectively. The detection limit for scopoletin was about 100 fmol. Using this method to determine MAT activity in HL-60 cells required only about 2.5 microg of protein and the incubation time needed for enzymatic reaction is less than 30 min. The HPLC analysis procedure took only 5 min per sample. The kinetic study showed that MAT in HL-60 cells exhibited negative cooperativity with a Hill coefficient of 0.5. The values of K(m) and V(max) were 6.1+/-0.3 microM and 135.4+/-1.5 nmol AdoMet formed/mg protein/h, respectively.     

Determination of Tanshinones in Danshen (Salvia miltiorrhiza) by High‐Performance Liquid Chromatography with Fluorescence Detection after pre‐Column Derivatisation

Introduction

Tanshinones are a major class of bioactive ingredients in the traditional herbal medicines, Danshen (Salvia miltiorrhiza). A sensitive and reliable determination method for tanshinones is useful to ensure the quality of Danshen.

Objective

To develop a sensitive and selective analytical method for tanshinones by high‐performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with fluorescence detection after pre‐column derivatisation.

Methodology

The proposed method depends on derivatisation reaction of tanshinones with 4‐carbomethoxybenzaldehyde and ammonium acetate forming intensely fluorescent imidazole derivative.

Results

The proposed method provided excellent sensitivity with the detection limits of 3.3 nM (66 fmol/injection), 3.2 nM (64 fmol/injection) and 2.0 nM (40 fmol/injection) for cryptotanshinone, tanshinone I and tanshinone IIA, respectively, without the necessity of complicated instrumentations. The developed method is successfully applied to quantify the contents of tanshinones in Danshen.

Conclusion

The developed method is the first analytical method for tanshinones by fluorescence detection. Since the derivatisation reaction is selective for the o‐quinone structure of tanshinone, the developed method will become a suitable mean for the discovering of tanshinone type diterpenoids from herbal samples. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

On-line cleanup for 2-aminobenzamide-labeled oligosaccharides

Analysis of 2-aminobenzamide-labeled oligosaccharides requires removal of excess labeling reagents before chromatography. Manual cleanup is time-consuming and not optimal for routine analysis, so an on-line solid-phase extraction was developed. Labeled oligosaccharides are trapped on an amide phase in a small guard column, the excess reagents are washed away, and then the sample is transferred to the analytical column for analysis. The on-line protocol shortened the sample preparation time and has been applied for the analysis of oligosaccharides and N-glycans released from glycoproteins.     

Isolation and structural characterization of low-molecular-mass monosialyl oligosaccharides derived from respiratory-mucus glycoproteins of a patient suffering from bronchiectasis

The carbohydrate chains of the respiratory-mucus glycoproteins of a patient suffering from bronchiectasis due to Kartagener's syndrome were released by alkaline borohydride treatment. Low-molecular-mass, monosialyl oligosaccharide-alditols were isolated by anion-exchange chromatography and fractionated by consecutive straight-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) on a silica-based alkylamine column, and reverse-phase HPLC on a silica-based octadecyl column, respectively. The structures of the oligosaccharidealditols were determined by 500-MHz 1H-NMR spectroscopy in combination with sugar composition analysis. The 24 structures established range in size from disaccharides to heptasaccharides. Novel oligosaccharides obtained from the bronchiectasis mucus glycoproteins are: (formula; see text) 23 of the 24 monosialyl oligosaccharides characterized can be conceived of as extensions of neutral oligosaccharides purified from the bronchial mucus of this patient [Klein, A. et al. (1988) Eur. J. Biochem. 171, 631-642; Breg, J. et al. (1988) Eur. J Biochem. 171, 643-654]. The sialic acid residue was found to occur either in alpha (2----3)- or alpha (2----6)-linkage to a galactosyl residue or in alpha (2----6)-linkage to GalNAc-ol.     

High-performance liquid chromatography of monosaccharides and oligosaccharides in a complex biological matrix.

Analysis of oligosaccharides in complex biological matrices is hampered by the fact that oligosaccharides, closely related in structure, are difficult to separate from each other and that conventional detection procedures (refraction index and uv detection) are not specific enough for carbohydrates. Prepurification of samples by procedures like desalting or gel filtration is often used but can lead to the loss of specific oligosaccharides. We have used pellicular anion chromatography in combination with a postcolumn reaction for reducing carbohydrates based on 4-aminobenzoylhydrazide. This procedure not only detected normal mono- and oligosaccharides but N-acetylhexosamines and reducing N-acetylhexosamine containing oligosaccharides as well. A sensitivity of about 20-25 pmol for non-GlcNAc containing mono- or oligosaccharides and between 30-50 pmol for GlcNAc or oligosaccharides with GlcNAc at the reducing side was reached. The postcolumn detection was compared with pulsed amperometric detection and appeared to be more specific for mono- and oligosaccharides. Except for deproteination to protect the column, no further sample preparation was needed with this system for our application (urines). In this way pellicular anion chromatography in combination with this postcolumn reaction reaction to be a sensitive and specific HPLC procedure for analysis of monosaccharides and oligosaccharides in complex biological matrices.     

Simultaneous Determination of Dermatan Sulfate and Oversulfated Dermatan Sulfate in Plasma by High-Performance Liquid Chromatography with Postcolumn Fluorescence Derivatization

A chemical method for the determination of dermatan sulfate (DS) and oversulfated dermatan sulfate has been developed and applied to the pharmacokinetic study of these polysaccharides in experimental animals. The analytical procedure includes a simple preparation step of administered DS and oversulfated DS from blood plasma, HPLC for the separation and detection of DS and oversulfated DS using an Asahipak NH₂P-50 column, fluorometric reaction of the polysaccharides with guanidine in a strong alkaline medium. DS and oversulfated DS were extracted from plasma by treating it with proteinase to remove plasma proteins and recovered with endogenous plasma glycosaminoglycans by ethanol precipitation. Finally, DS and oversulfated DS were analyzed by fluorometric HPLC. The detection limits of DS and oversulfated DS were 10 and 20 ng, respectively. Furthermore, we demonstrated that artificial oversulfation of DS increased its biological half-life after intravenous administration to rats.     

Comparative studies of HPLC-fluorometry and LC/MS method for the determination of N-acetylneuraminic acid as a marker of deteriorated ophthalmic solutions

Methods for determining the deterioration of ophthalmic solutions using both high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with fluorescence detection and liquid chromatography coupled with selected ion monitoring mass spectrometry (LC/MS) are described. The methods are based on the determination of N-acetylneuraminic acid (NeuAc) released by the hydrolysis of foreign bodies that contaminate eye drops during use. The released NeuAc was either labeled with 1,2-diamino-4,5-methylenedioxybenzene (DMB) for fluorometric detection or detected without derivatization by mass spectrometry. The calibration curves for NeuAc showed good linearity between 1.2 ng/mL and 39 ng/mL for fluorometric HPLC and 5.0 ng/mL and 100 ng/mL for LC/MS, respectively. Detection limits for fluorometric HPLC and LC/MS were 0.20 ng/mL and 0.88 ng/mL, respectively. The NeuAc content of some model glycoproteins determined by LC/MS method were 62-78% of those determined by fluorometry. The differences are attributed to matrix effects but the LC/MS method afforded sufficiently high sensitivity that NeuAc in the foreign bodies could be determined in eight of nine test samples.