Retention of Sialic Acid on Zodiac HST RP Column

Sialic acid is a neuraminic acid derivative containing nitrogen or oxygen substituents, and it exhibits strong polarity due to its sugar-based structure. The N-substituted form of sialic acid is acidic in nature. In reversed-phase chromatography, sialic acid typically shows minimal retention unless ion-pairing agents are introduced.

A robust method for the analysis of sialic acid has been developed using the Zodiac HST RP reversed-phase anion-exchange column. This method is compatible with both ELSD and LC/MS detection techniques and is suitable for analyzing sialic acid in biological fluids such as blood, serum, and urine. The retention of sialic acid is influenced by the pH and buffer concentration of the mobile phase. Its separation is achieved through a combination of weak reversed-phase and mild anion-exchange interactions.