The present contribution is an overview of the state-of-the-art of fast gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (fast GC-MS). Specifically, published papers over the last ten years ...(2009–December 2018) have been considered. Several aspects of fast GC-MS are here critically discussed, focusing on four of the most common routes to shorten GC analyses times: micro-bore columns, narrow-bore columns, low-pressure outlet conditions, and resistive heating. Moreover, great attention has been dedicated to mass spectrometry coupling. Finally, the strong and weak points of each high-speed GC approach are also highlighted.
•Applications of fast GC-MS in the last decade were considered.•Fast GC-MS has reached a mature state.•Particular emphasis was given to the MS instrumentation.
Tandem mass spectral library search (MS/MS) is the fastest way to correctly annotate MS/MS spectra from screening small molecules in fields such as environmental analysis, drug screening, lipid ...analysis, and metabolomics. The confidence in MS/MS‐based annotation of chemical structures is impacted by instrumental settings and requirements, data acquisition modes including data‐dependent and data‐independent methods, library scoring algorithms, as well as post‐curation steps. We critically discuss parameters that influence search results, such as mass accuracy, precursor ion isolation width, intensity thresholds, centroiding algorithms, and acquisition speed. A range of publicly and commercially available MS/MS databases such as NIST, MassBank, MoNA, LipidBlast, Wiley MSforID, and METLIN are surveyed. In addition, software tools including NIST MS Search, MS‐DIAL, Mass Frontier, SmileMS, Mass++, and XCMS2 to perform fast MS/MS search are discussed. MS/MS scoring algorithms and challenges during compound annotation are reviewed. Advanced methods such as the in silico generation of tandem mass spectra using quantum chemistry and machine learning methods are covered. Community efforts for curation and sharing of tandem mass spectra that will allow for faster distribution of scientific discoveries are discussed.
Liquid chromatography coupled to quadrupole‐based tandem mass spectrometry (QqQ) is termed the “gold standard” for bioanalytical applications because of its unpreceded selectivity, sensitivity, and ...the ruggedness of the technology. More recently, however, high‐resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS) has become increasingly popular for bioanalytical applications. Nonetheless, this technique is still viewed, either as a screening technology or as a research tool. Although HRMS is actively discussed during scientific conferences, it is yet to be widely utilised in routine laboratory settings and there remains a reluctance to use HRMS for quantitative measurements in regulated environments. This paper does not aim to comprehensively describe the potential of the latest HRMS technology, but rather, it focuses on what results can be obtained and outlines the author's experiences over a period of many years of the routine application of various forms of HRMS instrumentation. Fifteen years ago, some nine different QqQ methods were used in the author's laboratory to analyse a variety of different veterinary drug resides. Today, many more analytes are quantified by seven HRMS methods and just three QqQ methods remain in use for the analysis of a small set of compounds yet to be upgraded to HRMS analysis. This continual upgrading and migration of analytical methods were accompanied by regularly participating in laboratory proficiency tests (PTs). The PT reports (covering a range of analytes and analytical methods) were used to compare the accuracy of HRMS‐ versus QqQ‐based measurements. In the second part of this paper, the particular strengths and limitations of HRMS for both method development and routine measurements are critically discussed. This also includes some anecdotal experiences encountered when replacing QqQ assays with HRMS methods.
Surfactants are surface‐active agents widely used in numerous applications in our daily lives as personal care products, domestic, and industrial detergents. To determine complex mixtures of ...surfactants and their degradation products, unselective and rather insensitive methods, based on colorimetric and complexometric analyses are no longer employable. Analytical methodologies able to determine low concentration levels of surfactants and closely related compounds in complex matrices are required. The recent introduction of robust, sensitive, and selective mass spectrometry (MS) techniques has led to the rapid expansion of the surfactant research field including complex mixtures of isomers, oligomers, and homologues of surfactants as well as their chemically and biodegradation products at trace levels. In this review, emphasis is given to the state‐of‐the‐art MS‐based analysis of surfactants and their degradation products with an overview of the current research landscape from traditional methods involving hyphenate techniques (gas chromatography‐MS and liquid chromatography‐MS) to the most innovative approaches, based on high‐resolution MS. Finally, we outline a detailed explanation on the utilization of MS for mechanistic purposes, such as the study of micelle formation in different solvents.
Progress in proteomics research has led to a demand for powerful analytical tools with high separation efficiency and sensitivity for confident identification and quantification of proteins, ...posttranslational modifications, and protein complexes expressed in cells and tissues. This demand has significantly increased interest in capillary electrophoresis‐mass spectrometry (CE‐MS) in the past few years. This review provides highlights of recent advances in CE‐MS for proteomics research, including a short introduction to top‐down mass spectrometry and native mass spectrometry (native MS), as well as a detailed overview of CE methods. Both the potential and limitations of these methods for the analysis of proteins and peptides in synthetic and biological samples and the challenges of CE methods are discussed, along with perspectives about the future direction of CE‐MS. @ 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Mass Spec Rev 00:1–16, 2019.
Plants are a major atmospheric source of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). These secondary metabolic products protect plants from high-temperature stress, mediate in plant–plant and plant–insect ...communication, and affect our climate globally. The main challenges in plant foliar VOC research are accurate sampling, the inherent reactivity of some VOC compounds that makes them hard to detect directly, and their low concentrations. Plant VOC research relies on analytical techniques for trace gas analysis, usually based on gas chromatography and soft chemical ionization mass spectrometry. Until now, these techniques (especially the latter one) have been developed and used primarily by physicists and analytical scientists, who have used them in a wide range of scientific research areas (e.g., aroma, disease biomarkers, hazardous compound detection, atmospheric chemistry). The interdisciplinary nature of plant foliar VOC research has recently attracted the attention of biologists, bringing them into the field of applied environmental analytical sciences. In this paper, we review the sampling methods and available analytical techniques used in plant foliar VOC research to provide a comprehensive resource that will allow biologists moving into the field to choose the most appropriate approach for their studies.
•A review on chromatographic methods for analysis of AA metabolites in brain tissue is presented.•A review on mass spectrometric methods for analysis of AA metabolites in brain tissue is presented.•A ...critical review of analytical and extraction techniques for brain tissue is demonstrated.•Recently published analytical methods are discussed and analytical challenges are highlighted.•Diagrams and tables are illustrated for comparison of methods.
Eicosanoids are potent lipid mediators of inflammation and are known to play an important role in numerous pathophysiological processes. Furthermore, inflammation has been proven to be a mediator of diseases such as hypertension, atherosclerosis, Alzheimer's disease, cancer and rheumatoid arthritis. Hence, these lipid mediators have gained significant attention in recent years. This review focuses on chromatographic and mass spectrometric methods that have been used to analyze arachidonic acid and its metabolites in brain tissue. Recently published analytical methods such as LC–MS/MS and GC–MS/MS are discussed and compared in terms of limit of quantitation and sample preparation procedures, including solid phase extraction and derivatization. Analytical challenges are also highlighted.
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