Microextraction by Packed Sorbent (MEPS) and Solid-Phase Microextraction (SPME) as Sample Preparation Procedures for the Metabolomic Profiling of Urine

Abstract

For a long time, sample preparation was unrecognized as a critical issue in the analytical methodology, thus limiting the performance that could be achieved. However, the improvement of microextraction techniques, particularly microextraction by packed sorbent (MEPS) and solid-phase microextraction (SPME), completely modified this scenario by introducing unprecedented control over this process. Urine is a biological fluid that is very interesting for metabolomics studies, allowing human health and disease characterization in a minimally invasive form. In this manuscript, we will critically review the most relevant and promising works in this field, highlighting how the metabolomic profiling of urine can be an extremely valuable tool for the early diagnosis of highly prevalent diseases, such as cardiovascular, oncologic and neurodegenerative ones.

Evaluation of microextraction by packed sorbent, liquid–liquid microextraction and derivatization pretreatment of diet‐derived phenolic acids in plasma by gas chromatography with triple quadrupole mass spectrometry

“…Analysis of phenolic metabolites in plasma and other biological fluids requires pretreatment to eliminate proteins, lipids, and other constituents. The more used extraction and cleanup procedures are SPE and liquid–liquid microextraction (LLME) . To the best of our knowledge, there are no studies that systematically compare these pretreatments nor debate on each approach.…”

Solid-phase microextraction technology for in vitro and in vivo metabolite analysis

“…When SPME was used to screen for VOCs, the results suggested a possible cause of death from a rare case of captan ingestion [90]. With convenient sample preparation [91], SPME could be a valuable tool for the early diagnosis of cardiovascular, oncologic and neurodegenerative illnesses. Selected reports that used SPME for in vivo sample analysis are shown in Table 2.…”

Recent Trends in Microextraction Techniques Employed in Analytical and Bioanalytical Sample Preparation

“…In this scenario, even if MEPS is more easily automated than SPE, and more robust than solid-phase microextraction (SPME) [13], sorbent-based techniques and their different formats certainly represent a valid choice. These techniques provide simplicity in their operation, consume no solvent or minimize solvent usage, allow the separation and pre-concentration of the analytes using different commercial fibers, and the possibility of automating the entire process could be successfully applied in food, environmental, clinical, pharmaceutical and bioanalysis applications [14][15][16], as recently reviewed by Silva and co-workers [17].…”