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Updated: Jun 5, 2026

Large Scale Non-targeted Metabolomic Profiling of Serum by Ultra Performance Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (UPLC-MS)
Published on: March 14, 2013
Stable isotope shifted matrices enable the use of low mass ion precursor scanning for targeted metabolite
Charles B Reilly1, Sri H Ramarathinam, Nicholas A Williamson
1Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, 3010 Australia. apurcell@unimelb.edu.au.
Abstract:
We describe a method to identify metabolites of proteins that eliminates endogenous background by using stable isotope labeled matrices. This technique allows selective screening of the intact therapeutic molecule and all metabolites using a modified precursor ion scan that monitors low molecular weight fragment ions produced during MS/MS. This distinct set of low mass ions differs between isotopically labeled and natural isotope containing species allowing excellent discrimination between endogenous compounds and target analytes. All compounds containing amino acids that consist of naturally abundant isotopes can be selected using this scanning technique for further analysis, including metabolites of the parent molecule. The sensitivity and selectivity of this technique is discussed with specific examples of insulin metabolites identified within a complex matrix using a range of different validated low mass target ions.
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