High-resolution mass spectrometry in toxicology: current status and future perspectives

Area of Science:

• Analytical Chemistry
• Toxicology
• Biomedical Science

Background:

• High-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS) is increasingly vital in toxicological analysis.
• Time-of-flight (TOF) and Orbitrap mass analyzers are key HRMS technologies.
• Recent advancements have expanded HRMS applications in clinical and forensic toxicology.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS) approaches in toxicology.
• To cover research and applications published since 2013 in PubMed.
• To focus on clinical and forensic toxicology, including drug and toxin analysis.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of HRMS applications in toxicology.
• Focus on time-of-flight (TOF) and Orbitrap mass spectrometry techniques.
• Inclusion of studies on metabolism, screening, and quantification in human samples.

Main Results:

• HRMS is effective for the metabolism, screening, and quantification of pharmaceuticals, drugs of abuse, and toxins.
• Significant advancements in HRMS have been observed in clinical and forensic toxicology since 2013.
• The reviewed literature highlights the utility of HRMS in analyzing complex human body samples.

Conclusions:

• HRMS, particularly TOF and Orbitrap, provides powerful tools for toxicological investigations.
• The methods offer advantages in sensitivity and specificity for drug and toxin detection.
• Future perspectives suggest continued growth and refinement of HRMS in toxicology.