Short communication: Quantification of carbohydrates in whey permeate products using high-performance anion-exchange chromatography with pulsed amperometric detection

A method was developed for the characterization and quantification of the disaccharide lactose and 3 major bovine milk oligosaccharides (BMO) in dairy streams. Based on high-performance anion-exchange chromatography-pulsed amperometric detection (HPAE-PAD), this method is advantageous because it requires minimal sample preparation and achieves good chromatographic separation of oligosaccharide isomers within 30 min. The linear dynamic range and limit of detection were 0.1 to 10 mg/L and 0.03 to 0.22 mg/L, respectively. Mean recoveries of the BMO were excellent and ranged from 98.4 to 100.4%. Without complicated sample preparation procedures, this HPAE-PAD method measured BMO [3′-sialyllactose (3′SL), 6′-sialyllactose (6′SL), and 6′-sialyllactosamine (6′SLN)] and lactose using a single instrument, therefore increasing the accuracy of the measurement and applicability for the dairy industry. In colostrum whey permeate, 3′SL, 6′SL, and 6′SLN were 94, 29, and 46 mg/L, respectively. This work is the first to demonstrate that some commercial products, currently marketed for supporting a healthy immune system, contain significant amounts of bioactive BMO and therefore, carry additional bioactivities.