Retention of Taurine on Zodiac HST N Column

Taurine, or 2-aminoethanesulfonic acid, is a highly polar, zwitterionic compound commonly used as an additive in nutritional formulations. Due to its polarity and zwitterionic structure, taurine is not well-retained on traditional reversed-phase (RP) chromatography columns. Additionally, it lacks UV chromophores, making UV detection ineffective. An analytical method for taurine determination was developed using the Zodiac HST N HILIC/mixed-mode column, which provides strong retention of polar and ionizable compounds. With appropriate modifications, this method is suitable for analyzing taurine in complex mixtures using ELSD or LC/MS detection.