In metabolomics studies, gas chromatography coupled with time-of-flight or quadrupole mass spectrometry has frequently been used for the non-targeted analysis of hydrophilic metabolites. However, because the analytical platform employs the deconvolution method to extract single-metabolite information from co-eluted peaks and background noise, the extracted peak is artificial product depending on the mathematical parameters and is not completely compatible with the pure component obtained by analyzing a standard compound. Moreover, it has insufficient ability for quantitative metabolomics. Therefore, highly sensitive and selective methods capable of pure peak extraction without any complicated mathematical techniques are needed. For this purpose, we have developed a novel analytical method using gas chromatography coupled with triple-quadrupole mass spectrometry (GC-QqQ/MS). We developed a selected reaction monitoring (SRM) method to analyze the trimethylsilyl derivatives of 110 metabolites, using electron ionization. This methodology enables us to utilize two complementary techniques-non-targeted and widely targeted metabolomics in the same sample preparation protocol, which would facilitate the formulation or verification of novel hypotheses in biological sciences. The GC-QqQ/MS analysis can accurately identify a metabolite using multichannel SRM transitions and intensity ratios in the analysis of living organisms. In addition, our methodology offers a wide dynamic range, high sensitivity, and highly reproducible metabolite profiles, which will contribute to the biomarker discoveries and quality evaluations in biology, medicine, and food sciences.
A serious problem in analyzing pesticide residues in foods by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) is the matrix enhancement e ect. e matrix e ect of pesticides in 5 types of representative samples preprocessed by the Positive List System was measured at 100 ppb. e mean matrix e ect value of pesticides in potato, spinach, orange, brown rice, and soybean sample was 129%, 191%, 171%, 225%, and 146%, respectively. Continuing research showed that the sample solutions contained high amounts of some matrix components, such as tocopherols, sterols, and monoacylglycerols. In order to investigate which component causes the matrix e ect, each matrix solution was prepared at 1-1000 ppm (monoacylglycerols: 1-500 ppm), and the pesticide mixture was forti ed to 100 ppb. e matrix e ect depended on the concentration of the matrix solution, and we concluded that monoacylglycerols were the most attributable components to the matrix e ect.
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