Progress on Analytical Methods of Amino Sugars in Environmental Samples

As a kind of important biogenic organic matter, amino sugars can effectively provide insights for the source of organic matters and the contribution of bacterial organic matters based on their concentrations and compositions in the environment. A large number of studies on the analysis of amino sugars have been conducted for environmental samples throughout the world. However, comprehensive and systematic reviews of new progress on the analytical method are still rare. From the aspects of pretreatment methods and detection techniques, the advantages and disadvantages and applicable conditions of three common methods (eg. gas chromatography, high performance liquid chromatography and infrared spectroscopy) were systematically summarized. In terms of pretreatment, the process of the gas chromatography is cumbersome and requires derivatization, while the pretreatment of high performance liquid chromatography is relatively simple and easier to automate. In respect of instrument detection, the gas chromatography can detect four amino sugars (glucosamine, galactosamine, mannosamine and muramic acid) simultaneously and is more stable than the high performance liquid chromatography. In addition, the infrared spectroscopy method has the advantages of structural qualitative, however, its sensitivity is lower. There is no analytical method that can guarantee both sensitive analysis of amino sugars and experimental efficiency. Therefore, the analytical method should be reasonably selected according to the form of the sample and the requirements in the analysis of amino sugars. Further work should focus on economy, compatibility and online automation of analytical methods, so as to provide technical support for the research on biogeochemical processes of amino sugars in the environment.