Table 1.

Comparison of frequently employed analytical platforms in metabolomics [7, 22]

Analytical platform	Applications	Advantages	Disadvantages
GC/MS	Hydrophobic and polar compounds with low molecular weight Ionization method: electron impact (EI)	High sensitivity (10–12 M) Accuracy (< 50 ppm) Mass range (< 350 Da) Suitable for volatile compounds Available databases	Destructive Requires derivatization Unsuitable for non-volatile compounds Relatively long run time Multiple derivatization of certain compound classes are possible
LC/MS	Polar compounds and SMs Ionization method: atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (API) and electrospray ionization (ESI)	High sensitivity (10–15 M) Accuracy (50–100 ppm) Mass range (< 1500 Da)	Destructive Low separation of LC column Specific retention times Specific chromatographic conditions
NMR	Exploits the ability of spin active nuclei to absorb and re-emit pulsed electromagnetic radiation of a characteristic frequency pattern when placed in a magnetic field; provides information about molecular structure, chemical environment and molecular motion	Non-destructive Highly reproducible Accurate quantification Minimal need of sample preparation Analysis of wide range of chemical structures	High capital cost of instrumentation Low sensitivity (10–6 M) Overlap of metabolite signals in 1D spectra