Evaluation of laboratory-prepared high-performance size-exclusion columns. Applications to food analysis

This paper describes an inexpensive and relatively simple procedure to prepare high-performance size-exclusion columns from laboratory-packed or commercially pre-packed high-performance liquid chromatography columns by chemical deactivation of the surface of the silica packing material. The columns can be prepared quickly and reproducibly, they are chromatographically as efficient as high-performance size-exclusion columns commercially available, and are prepared at a fraction of the cost. Examples of the separation of proteins, peptides and polysaccharides on laboratory-prepared columns with differing permeation characteristics are illustrated and discussed.