Table 1.
Analytical tools most commonly used in metabolomics studies
| Technique | Metabolites Seen | Number of Metabolites |
|---|---|---|
| NMR | • Amino acids | 50–200 |
| • Polar/nonpolar metabolites | ||
| • Sugars | ||
| • Volatile liquids | ||
| • Large metabolites | ||
| GC-MS | • Volatile/thermally stable metabolites | 100–500 |
| • Nonpolar metabolites | ||
| • Amino acids | ||
| • Medium to high lipophilicity | ||
| • Nucleosides and nucleotides | ||
| • Carbohydrates | ||
| • Esters | ||
| LC-MS | • Amino acids | 100–800 |
| • Fatty acids | ||
| • Polar metabolites | ||
| • Organic acids | ||
| • Steroids |
Definition of abbreviations: GC-MS = gas chromatography-mass spectrometry; LC-MS = liquid chromatography-mass spectroscopy; NMR = nuclear magnetic resonance.