Table 1.

Common editing target metabolites and associated co-edited metabolites.

Target metabolite(s)				Co-edited metabolite(s)	Ref
Target name (chemical group)	Target chemical shift (ppm)	Edit chemical group	Edit chemical shift (ppm)
Asc (H6/H6′)	3.72 – 3.74	H5	4.00	BHB, lactate, threonine	8,66,92
aspartate (H3/H3′)	2.67 – 2.80	H2	3.89		106
BHB (H4)	1.19	H3	4.13	lactate, threonine	20
cystathionine (H4/H4′)	2.72	H3/H3′	2.13–2.19	NAA, NAAG, 2HG, GABA, homocarnosine, MM, glutamate, glutamine	126
GABA (H4)	3.01	H3	1.89	MM, glutamate, glutamine, homocarnosine, NAA, NAAG	11,63
glucose (bH2)	3.23	bH1	4.63	GSH, NAAG	109,110
GSH (cysteine H3/H3)	2.93 – 2.98	H2	4.56	NAA	42,80,90
2HG (H2)	4.01	H3/H3′	1.82 – 1.98	GABA, homocarnosine, MM, cystathionine, glutamate, glutamine, cysteine, NAA, NAAG	96,97,127
lactate (H3)	1.31	H2	4.10	BHB, threonine	103,128
NAAG (aspartate H3/H3′)	2.52 – 2.72	H2	4.61	NAA	7,104
threonine (H4)	1.32	H3	4.25	BHB, lactate	37,102
serine	3.94–3.98	H	3.83	NAA, glutamate, myo-inositol	112

Note: Spectral editing is recommended for metabolites listed above at 3 T or lower. In general, both J-difference and MQF editing methods are equally applicable. While the need for spectral editing is less at ultra-high magnetic fields (7 T or above) due to an increased spectral separation, editing is still recommended for some metabolites (e.g., BHB) to improve the reliability of detection. Spectral editing could also help to establish the presence of previously unobserved metabolites in vivo.¹¹³

2HG = D-2-hydroxyglutarate; Asc = ascorbate; Asp = aspartate; BHB = β-hydroxybutyrate; GABA = g-aminobutyric acid; GSH = glutathione; MM = macromolecules; NAA = N-acetylaspartate; NAAG = N-acetylaspartylglutamate