Oral Presentation Royal Australian Chemical Institute National Congress 2026

A comprehensive ion chromatography/mass spectrometry (IC/MS) method for saccharide analysis (136549)

Natasha L. Hungerford 1 2 , Hans S.A. Yates 1 3 , James F. Carter 3 , Mary T. Fletcher 1 2 , Jiali Zhang 1 , Viviene S. Santiago 1
  1. Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation (QAAFI), The University of Queensland, Health and Food Sciences Precinct, Coopers Plains, QLD, Australia
  2. School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, Australia
  3. Queensland Health Coronial and Public Health Sciences (QHCPHS), Health and Food Sciences Precinct, Coopers Plains, QLD, Australia

The increasing commercial interest in rare sugars has created a rapidly expanding global market, valued at USD 1.65 billion in 2023, supported by advances in industrial enzymatic and microbial production technologies that enable controlled stereochemical and regiochemical transformations of saccharide substrates.

Rare sugars, defined by their low natural abundance, are reported to exhibit diverse functional properties, including nutrition and health benefits such as blood‑glucose modulation, anti‑infection activity, prebiotic effects, and low‑ or non‑calorific sweetness. There are also potential roles for rare sugars as innovative agricultural tools.1 Despite these benefits, rare sugar analysis remains challenging due to the structural similarities, isomeric complexities, high polarity and co-elution characteristics of saccharides, combined with the limitations of routine chromatographic methods that primarily target common dietary sugars. As a result, rare sugars are often unreported, misidentified or erroneously quantified in commercial products, leading to growing concerns regarding product authenticity and regulatory oversight.

To address these analytical limitations, we have developed a robust ion chromatography/mass spectrometry (IC/MS) method capable of resolving and quantifying 80 saccharides, encompassing 21 monosaccharides, 28 disaccharides, 15 trisaccharides, 9 tetrasaccharides, and 9 sugar alcohols (DP1–2). Following full validation of qualitative and quantitative parameters, the method was applied to evaluate the authenticity of 19 rare‑ and major- sugar dietary supplements for any discrepancies between labelled and measured compositions. Notably, two supplements labelled as 100% palatinose (isomaltulose) were found to contain trace levels of trehalulose (0.01 g/100 g).

These findings highlight the need for improved analytical standards for saccharide analysis. The IC/MS method developed in this study offers a powerful tool to ensure the accuracy of sugar profiling, supporting quality assurance within the food, nutrition, and regulatory industries.

  1. Mijailovic, N.; Nesler, A.; Perazzolli, M.; Ait Barka, E.; Aziz, A., Rare Sugars: Recent Advances and Their Potential Role in Sustainable Crop Protection. Molecules 2021, 26 (6), 1720.