Innovative molecular networking analysis of steroids and characterisation of the urinary steroidome

Steroids are cholesterol-derived biomolecules that play an essential role in biological processes. These substances used as growth promoters in animals are strictly regulated worldwide. Targeted assays are the conventional methods of monitoring steroid abuse, with limitations: only detect known metabolites. Metabolism leads to many potential compounds (isomers), which complicates the analysis. Thus, to overcome these limitations, non-targeted analysis offers new opportunities for a deeper understanding of metabolites related to steroid metabolism. Molecular networking (MN) appears to be an innovative strategy combining high-resolution mass spectrometry and specific data processing to study metabolic pathways. In the present study, two databases and networks of steroids were constructed to lay the foundations for the implementation of the GNPS-MN approach. Steroids of the same family were grouped together, nandrolone and testosterone were linked to other analogues. This network and associated database were then applied to a few urine samples in order to demonstrate the annotation capacity in steroidome study. The results show that MN strategy could be used to study steroid metabolism and highlight biomarkers.