Methods for evaluating the quality of a heparin sample

1. A method for analyzing or processing a heparin sample comprising a mixture of structurally diverse polysaccharides, comprising the steps of:

applying a separation method to the mixture;

determining the amount of a signature component in the sample; and

making a determination about the sample based upon a comparison of the amount of the signature component in the sample to a reference database for a heparin, to thereby analyze the sample, wherein the signature component is selected from the group consisting of: ΔUH NAc,6S GH NS,3S,6S ; ΔUH NS,6S GH NS,3S,6S ; ΔUH NAc,6S GH NS,3S ; ΔUH NS,6S GH NS,3S ; ΔU 2S H NS,6S I 2S H NS,6S I 2S H NS,6S IH NAc,6S GH NS,3S,6S ; ΔU 2S H NS,6S IH NS,6S I 2S H NS,6S IH NAc,6S GH NS,3S,6S ; ΔU 2S H NS,6S GH NS,6S I 2S H NS,6S IH NAc,6S GH NS,3S,6S ; ΔU 2S H NS,6S I 2S H NS,6S I 2S H NS,6S IH NAc,6S GMan 3S,6S ; I 2S H NS,6S I 2S H NS,6S IH NAc,6S GH NS,3S,6S ; ΔU 2S H NS,6S I 2S H NS,6S IH NAc,6S GH NS,3S,6S ; I 2S H NS,6S I 2S H NS,6S IH NAc,6S GMan 3S,6S ; ΔU 2S H NS,6S IH NAc,6S GH NS,3S,6S ; I 2S H NS,6S IH NAc,6S GH NS,3S,6S ; ΔU 2S H NS,6S I 2S H NS,6S ; ΔU 2S H NS,6S IH NS,6S ΔU 2S H NS,6S GH NS,6S ; ΔU 2S H NS,6S I 2S Man 6S ; IH NAc,6S GMan 3S,6S ; H NAc,6S GMan 3S,6S ; H NS,6S GH NS,3S,6S I 2S H NS,6S,OMe ; H NS,6S GH NS,6S I 2S H NS6,SOMe ; ΔUH NS,6S I 2S H NS,6S,SOMe ; H NS,6S GH NS,6S ; H NS,6S GH NS,3S,6S ; ΔU 2S H NS,6S,OMe ; ΔU 2S H NS,6S, ; ΔU 2S H NS ; ΔUH NS,6S ; ΔU 2S H NAc,6S ; ΔUH NS ; ΔU 2S H NAc ; ΔUH NAc,6S and ΔUH NS,3S,6S .

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising selecting the sample based upon the determination.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the heparin sample is a pharmaceutical product.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the heparin sample is a pharmaceutical grade product governed by the USP.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the heparin sample is a commercial product.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the heparin sample is a low molecular weight heparin (LMWH) sample.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the LMWH sample is made by a process comprising eliminative cleavage with benzyl ester of heparin by alkaline treatment.

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein the LMWH sample is an enoxaparin sample.

9. The method of claim 6 , wherein the LMWH sample is made by a process comprising partial nitrous depolymerization of unfractionated heparin.

10. The method of claim 6 , wherein the LMWH sample is a fragmin sample.

11. The method of claim 6 , wherein the LMWH sample is made by a process comprising salt precipitation of an unfractionated heparin in a solvent that produces a first high molecular weight fraction and a second fraction of LMWH, and processing the second fraction to produce a concentrated LMWH preparation.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein said process further comprises digestion with a heparin degrading enzyme.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the heparin degrading enzyme is heparinase III.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein at least one histidine residue selected from the group consisting of His 36, His105, His110, His139, His152, His225, His234, His241, His424, His469, and His539 of the heparinase III has been substituted.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the at least one histidine residue has been substituted with alanine, serine, tyrosine, threonine, or lysine.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the at least one histidine residue is His225 that has been substituted with alanine.

17. The method of claim 1 , wherein the reference database is embodied in a computer readable medium.

18. A method of making a determination about the quality of a sample, comprising: analyzing information obtained by the method of claim 1 to determine if the sample has a signature component in a preselected range.

19. A method of analyzing or processing a heparin sample comprising a mixture of structurally diverse polysaccharides, comprising the steps of:

contacting the heparin sample with one or more heparin degrading enzyme,

determining the amount of a signature component in the sample using a separation method, and

comparing the amount of the signature component to a reference database for heparin, to thereby analyze or process the heparin sample, wherein the signature component is selected from the group consisting of: ΔUH NAc,6S GH NS,3S,6S ; ΔUH NS,6S GH NS,3S,6S ; ΔUH NAc,6S GH NS,3S ; ΔUH NS,6S GH NS,3S ; ΔU 2S H NS,6S I 2S H NS,6S I 2S H NS,6S IH NAc,6S GH NS,3S,6S ; ΔU 2S H NS,6S IH NS,6S I 2S H NS,6S IH NAc,6S GH NS,3S,6S ; ΔU 2S H NS,6S GH NS,6S I 2S H NS,6S IH NAc,6S GH NS,3S,6S ; ΔU 2S H NS,6S I 2S H NS,6S I 2S H NS,6S IH NAc,6S GMan 3S,6S ; I 2S H NS,6S I 2S H NS,6S IH NAc,6S GH NS,3S,6S ; ΔU 2S H NS,6S I 2S H NS,6S IH NAc,6S GH NS,3S,6S ; I 2S H NS,6S I 2S H NS,6S IH NAc,6S GMan 3S,6S ; ΔU 2S H NS,6S IH NAc,6S GH NS,3S,6S ; I 2S H NS,6S IH NAc,6S GH NS,3S,6S ; ΔU 2S H NS,6S I 2S H NS,6S ; ΔU 2S H NS,6S IH NS,6S ; ΔU 2S H NS,6S GH NS,6S ; ΔU 2S H NS,6S I 2S Man 6S ; IH NAc,6S GMan 3S,6S ; H NAc,6S GMan 3S,6S ; H NS,6S GH NS,3S,6S I 2S H NS,6S,OMe ; H NS,6S GH NS,6S I 2S H NS6,SOMe ; ΔUH NS,6S I 2S H NS,6S,SOMe ; H NS,6S GH NS,6S ; H NS,6S GH NS,3S,6S ; ΔU 2S H NS,6S,OMe ; ΔU 2S H NS,6S ; ΔU 2S H NS,6S ; ΔUH NS,6S ; ΔU 2S H NAc,6S ; ΔUH NS ; ΔU 2S H NAc ; ΔUH NAc,6S and ΔUH NS,3S,6S .

20. A method for analyzing or processing a heparin sample comprising a mixture of structurally diverse polysaccharides, comprising the steps of:

applying a separation method to the mixture;

determining the amount of a signature component in the sample, wherein the amount of signature component is calculated by the equation:

PRA=RF×AUC % R , wherein PRA=percent relative amount of a signature component, RF=response factor, AUC % R =percent relative AUC [100×AUC C )/AUC T )], AUC C =area under the curve for one signature component, AUC T =sum of area under the curve for all signature components, and

making a determination about the sample based upon a comparison of the amount of the signature component in the sample to a reference database for a heparin, to thereby analyze the sample, wherein the signature component is selected from the group consisting of: ΔUH NAc,6S GH NS,3S,6S ; ΔUH NS,6S GH NS,3S,6S ; ΔUH NAc,6S GH NS,3S ; ΔUH NS,6S GH NS,3S ; ΔU 2S H NS,6S I 2S H NS,6S I 2S H NS,6S IH NAc,6S GH NS,3S,6S ; ΔU 2S H NS,6S IH NS,6S I 2S H NS,6S IH NAc,6S GH NS,3S,6S ; ΔU 2S H NS,6S GH NS,6S I 2S H NS,6S IH NAc,6S GH NS,3S,6S ; ΔU 2S H NS,6S I 2S H NS,6S I 2S H NS,6S IH NAc,6S GMan 3S,6S ; I 2S H NS,6S I 2S H NS,6S IH NAc,6S GH NS,3S,6S ; ΔU 2S H NS,6S I 2S H NS,6S IH NAc,6S GH NS,3S,6S ; I 2S H NS,6S I 2S H NS,6S IH NAc,6S GMan 3S,6S ; ΔU 2S H NS,6S IH NAc,6S GH NS,3S,6S ; I 2S H NS,6S IH NAc,6S GH NS,3S,6S ; ΔU 2S H NS,6S I 2S H NS,6S ; ΔU 2S H NS,6S IH NS,6S ; ΔU 2S H NS,6S GH NS,6S ; ΔU 2S H NS,6S I 2S Man 6S ; IH NAc,6S GMan 3S,6S ; H NAc,6S GMan 3S,6S ; H NS,6S GH NS,3S,6S I 2S H NS,6S,OMe ; H NS,6S GH NS,6S I 2S H NS6,SOMe ; ΔUH NS,6S I 2S H NS,6S,SOMe ; H NS,6S GH NS,6S ; H NS,6S GH NS,3S,6S ; ΔU 2S H NS,6S,OMe ; ΔU 2S H NS,6S ; ΔU 2S H NS ; ΔUH NS,6S ; ΔU 2S H NAc,6S ; ΔUH NS ; ΔU 2S H NAc ; ΔUH NAc,6S and ΔUH NS,3S,6S .