If it smells of octanol (vaguely fruity, cloying odor) and possibly has a little phase separation (octanol poorly mixes with water) then you have significant hydrolysis.
Beyond the smell test, you can run a small sample out on a TLC with n-Octanol as control lane. Pretty easy. As to whether BOG can be hydrolyzed in your specific case - that entirely depends on the conditions (primarily the pH). Contamination by glycosyl hydrolases can be an issue too but why would you have something like that? Normally octanol contamination is found in poorly purified (technical grade) octyl glucoside preparations (which typically also contain a mixture of alpha and beta anomers). In my experience solutions of pure BOG in water at neutral pH are stable (although to be fair I've never tested for a whole year). Artem --- When the Weasel comes to give New Year's greetings to the Chickens no good intentions are in his mind. _____ From: CCP4 bulletin board [mailto:ccp...@jiscmail.ac.uk] On Behalf Of deliang Sent: Wednesday, February 25, 2009 9:06 PM To: CCP4BB@JISCMAIL.AC.UK Subject: [ccp4bb] off-topic detergent hydrolysis? Hi there, I am using a stock solution of Octyl-Glucoside to crystallize my membrane protein, which was made ~1 year before and kept at 4c . I wonder whether OG can be hydrolysed under this condition and whether there is a way to test. Many thanks, Deliang
