Addition of glycerol for improved methylation linkage analysis of polysaccharides

A presolubilization procedure with the use of glycerol is shown to be applicable for the structural analysis of polysaccharides. Neutral, acidic, high-molecular-weight and low-molecular-weight polysaccharides were solubilized in glycerol prior to methylation and subsequent linkage analysis by GC–MS. All four types of polysaccharides showed significant increases in derivatization following presolubilization as measured by recovery of partially methylated alditol acetates.