Rapid method for characterisation of cosmetic & pharmaceutical excipients

A new application report from Viscotek describes how its Triple Detection GPC/SEC system provides a rapid and convenient way of characterising Chitosans.

Chitosans are natural products derived from chitin, which is commonly found in the shells of crustaceans, and is a renewable resource nearly as abundant as cellulose. Chitosans are a focus of interest for various applications. They can be used in a range of cosmetic and pharmaceutical applications as they are biocompatible, hypoallergenic, biodegradable and bioabsorbable. To optimise their properties for a specific application Chitosans are often chemically modified. The wide use of Chitosans as excipient materials has created a demand for effective methods for determining their molecular weight distribution and structure.

In the application report three Chitosan samples are characterised using a Viscotek Triple Detection System (TDA™) that allows rapid determination of molecular weight, size and conformational structure in a single experiment. The Viscotek TDA™ employs a Refractive Index detector, Viscometer and Low Angle Light Scattering (LALS) detector acting in concert, with each detector providing complimentary but different information. The signal-to-noise on all three detectors is excellent, which ensures the quality of the calculated data. The report shows that despite differences in molecular weight and polydispersity the structure of the three samples analysed were similar.

Malvern Instruments acquired Viscotek in January 2008.