Methods in Molecular Biology (2020) 1980: 191–202
DOI 10.1007/7651_2017_106
© Springer Science+Business Media New York 2017
Published online: 05 December 2017
Total Carbohydrate Content Determination of Microalgal
Biomass by Acid Hydrolysis Followed by Spectrophotometry
or Liquid Chromatography
S. Van Wychen and L.M.L. Laurens
Abstract
The carbohydrate fraction of microalgal biomass is complex and consists of a combination of neutral, acidic,
amino sugars, and sugar alcohols. These carbohydrate amalgamations can be difficult to accurately quantify
with the most analytical carbohydrate determination techniques. The method described here provides a
straightforward two-step sulfuric acid hydrolysis followed by soluble carbohydrate quantification by either a
spectrophotometric method (based on aldehyde functional group derivatization), for an overall combined
monomeric sugar concentration determination, or a liquid chromatography method, for a more specific
monomeric sugar profile.
Keywords Carbohydrate, Liquid chromatography, Spectrophotometry
1 Introduction
A full understanding of microalgal biomass composition is crucial to
develop options for the utilization and full valorization of algae
[1, 2]. Algal carbohydrates can form the basis for both fuel products
such as ethanol and high-value products from a fermentation pathway such as succinic acid in a combined biorefinery approach to
maximize the full potential of the biomass [3, 4]. In this context,
the term “carbohydrates” refers to both monomers and polymers of
sugars and sugar derivatives such as uronic acids and amino sugars,
where the respective monomeric molecular composition is important when determining which product pathways may yield viable
options. Polymers can have widely varying molecular weights
depending on the degree of polymerization but collectively make
up the largest fraction in typical terrestrial and algae biomass sources
[1, 5–7] and can have both a structural and storage biological
function (such as cellulose and starch, respectively, in higher plants).
Microalgal carbohydrates are composed of various monomeric
building blocks, including uronic acids (glucuronic and galacturonic
acid), neutral sugars (e.g., glucose, galactose, rhamnose, fucose, arabinose, ribose, mannose, xylose), and amino sugars (e.g., glucosamine,
191
DOI 10.1007/7651_2017_106
© Springer Science+Business Media New York 2017
Published online: 05 December 2017
Total Carbohydrate Content Determination of Microalgal
Biomass by Acid Hydrolysis Followed by Spectrophotometry
or Liquid Chromatography
S. Van Wychen and L.M.L. Laurens
Abstract
The carbohydrate fraction of microalgal biomass is complex and consists of a combination of neutral, acidic,
amino sugars, and sugar alcohols. These carbohydrate amalgamations can be difficult to accurately quantify
with the most analytical carbohydrate determination techniques. The method described here provides a
straightforward two-step sulfuric acid hydrolysis followed by soluble carbohydrate quantification by either a
spectrophotometric method (based on aldehyde functional group derivatization), for an overall combined
monomeric sugar concentration determination, or a liquid chromatography method, for a more specific
monomeric sugar profile.
Keywords Carbohydrate, Liquid chromatography, Spectrophotometry
1 Introduction
A full understanding of microalgal biomass composition is crucial to
develop options for the utilization and full valorization of algae
[1, 2]. Algal carbohydrates can form the basis for both fuel products
such as ethanol and high-value products from a fermentation pathway such as succinic acid in a combined biorefinery approach to
maximize the full potential of the biomass [3, 4]. In this context,
the term “carbohydrates” refers to both monomers and polymers of
sugars and sugar derivatives such as uronic acids and amino sugars,
where the respective monomeric molecular composition is important when determining which product pathways may yield viable
options. Polymers can have widely varying molecular weights
depending on the degree of polymerization but collectively make
up the largest fraction in typical terrestrial and algae biomass sources
[1, 5–7] and can have both a structural and storage biological
function (such as cellulose and starch, respectively, in higher plants).
Microalgal carbohydrates are composed of various monomeric
building blocks, including uronic acids (glucuronic and galacturonic
acid), neutral sugars (e.g., glucose, galactose, rhamnose, fucose, arabinose, ribose, mannose, xylose), and amino sugars (e.g., glucosamine,
191