Uronic acid carbazole assay and cetylpyridinium chloride titration depend on the chondroitin sulfate molecular weight

Abstract

Chondroitin sulfate (CS) of various molecular weight (MW), up to ∼3 kDa, were produced and tested for uronic acid carbazole assay and cetylpyridinium chloride (CPC) titration showing an evident decrease in the assays depending on the CS MW. The described results for uronic acid assay by carbazole reaction and CPC titration of CS poses the problem to know the MW values before their application and to use comparable standards to obtain reliable results. Otherwise, the related quantitative data can be affected by a great error and fake certificate of analysis.

Keywords: Carbazole; Cetylpyridinium chloride; Chondroitin sulfate; Glycosaminoglycans; Hyaluronic acid; Uronic acids.