Methods for analyzing or processing a heparin sample

1. A method for analyzing a heparin sample, comprising:

contacting the sample with heparinase I, heparinase II and heparinase III;

determining an amount of a signature component in the sample, and

comparing the amount of the signature component in the sample to a reference database for a heparin to analyze an activity of 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 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 NS,6S,OMe ; ΔUH NS,6S I 2S H NS,6S,OMe ; 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 , wherein the sample is contacted with heparinase I, heparinase II heparinase III, a sulfatase and a glucuronidase.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the sulfatase is a 2-O sulfatase.

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

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

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

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

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

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein the LMWH sample is an enoxaparin sample.

10. The method of claim 7 , wherein the LMWH sample is made by a process comprising partial nitrous depolymerization of unfractionated heparin.

11. The method of claim 7 , wherein the LMWH sample is a fragmin sample.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the heparin sample is an unfractionated heparin sample.

13. The method of claim 7 , 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, wherein the first molecular weight fraction is separated from the second molecular weight fraction, and processing the second fraction with enzymatic digestion to produce a concentrated LMWH preparation.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein said process comprises enzymatic digestion with a heparin degrading enzyme.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the heparin degrading enzyme is heparinase III.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the heparinase III is a modified heparinase III comprising the amino acid sequence of the mature peptide of SEQ ID NO:2 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.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the at least one histidine residue has been substituted with alanine, serine, tyrosine, threonine, or lysine.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the at least one histidine residue is His225 that has been substituted with alanine.

19. The method of claim 13 , wherein the salt precipitation is performed with a salt of divalent cations and weak anions.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein the salt of the divalent cation is selected from the group consisting of barium, calcium, magnesium, strontium, copper, nickel, cadmium, zinc, mercury, beryllium, nickel, palladium, platinum, iron and tin.

21. The method of claim 19 , wherein the divalent cation is calcium.

22. The method of claim 13 , wherein the salt precipitation is performed with calcium acetate.

23. The method of claim 13 , wherein the solvent is selected from H 2 O, H 2 O and ethanol, ethanol, H 2 O and acetone, and acetone.

24. The method of claim 23 , wherein the solvent is H 2 O and ethanol.

25. The method of claim 13 , wherein the second fraction of LMWH is contained in the supernatant.

26. The method of claim 13 , wherein the process for making the LMWH further comprises precipitation of the second fraction of LMWH with a solvent.

27. The method of claim 26 , wherein the solvent is selected from ethanol and the combination of H 2 O and ethanol.

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

29. The method of claim 1 , further comprising: evaluating the quality of the sample based on whether the sample has a signature component in a preselected range.

30. The method of claim 1 , 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,

AUC C =area under the curve for one signature component,

AUC T =sum of area under the curve for all signature components.