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Abstract

High resolution 1H NMR spectroscopy is a powerful method for qualitative and quantitative analysis of the highly viscous human cervical mucus (CM). Up to 23 compounds could be identified in this study and can be observed in the 1H NMR spectra of native mucus without the need of any complicated preparative chemistry. Storage conditions could be excluded as a possible reason for variations observed between different samples. pH values decreased after freezing and storing at 253 K. For NMR studies, lyophilization proved to be most useful, allowing the determination of the water content, replacement of H2O by D2O, and most importantly, absolute quantification of low molecular mass compounds. In a small collective of women the concentrations of some of the small constituents of the CM are strongly correlated; an example is the mutual positive correlation of taurine, citrate and creatinine. In conclusion, high resolution 1H NMR spectroscopy is a valid method to investigate mucus composition and to determine absolute concentrations of low molecular mass compounds in CM.