Combination of Chromatographic Separation Methods with Mass Spectrometry—a Modern Technique for Studying Metabolism

Abstract

Powerful separation methods developed during the past few decades, in particular glass capillary gas chromatography (GC) and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), can be combined with sensitive methods of detection such as mass spectrometry (MS) to provide new insights into metabolic processes. Research in a field that was long thought to be exhausted has thus been revitalized. New perspectives have been opened up for studying the metabolism of foods, spices and flavorings, drugs, and compounds produced in the body as well as for establishing the way in which the organism rids itself of harmful substances or how and when these compounds can interfere with the metabolic processes occurring in the body.