Techniques of Partial Fragmentation

There are still few ways of achieving the reproducible, partial fragmentation of polysaccharides. Oligosaccharides in glycoproteins and glycolipids are usually sequenced from the outside inward by the use of specific glycosidases and carefully controlled hydrolysis. 

Two methods deserve some comment the use of nitrous acid where sulphamido groups occur and the use of (J-elimination, especially in pectins. Selective acid hydrolysis quite often indicates inhomogenecity in heteropolymers, but is seldom reproducible enough for help with exact sequencing. 

Beta-elimination reactions are used to release saccharides from protein 

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