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Thermal Degradation of Small Molecules: A Global Metabolomic Investigation.
Journal article

Thermal Degradation of Small Molecules: A Global Metabolomic Investigation.

  • Fang M Scripps Center for Metabolomics and Mass Spectrometry, The Scripps Research Institute , 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, California 92037, United States.
  • Ivanisevic J Metabolomics Platform, Faculty of Biology and Medicine, University of Lausanne , Rue du Bugnon 19, 1011 Lausanne, Switzerland.
  • Benton HP Scripps Center for Metabolomics and Mass Spectrometry, The Scripps Research Institute , 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, California 92037, United States.
  • Johnson CH Scripps Center for Metabolomics and Mass Spectrometry, The Scripps Research Institute , 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, California 92037, United States.
  • Patti GJ Department of Chemistry, Washington University in St. Louis , One Brookings Drive, St. Louis, Missouri 63130, United States.
  • Hoang LT Scripps Center for Metabolomics and Mass Spectrometry, The Scripps Research Institute , 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, California 92037, United States.
  • Uritboonthai W Scripps Center for Metabolomics and Mass Spectrometry, The Scripps Research Institute , 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, California 92037, United States.
  • Kurczy ME Scripps Center for Metabolomics and Mass Spectrometry, The Scripps Research Institute , 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, California 92037, United States.
  • Siuzdak G Scripps Center for Metabolomics and Mass Spectrometry, The Scripps Research Institute , 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, California 92037, United States.
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  • 2015-10-06
Published in:
  • Analytical chemistry. - 2015
Blood
Chromatography, Liquid
Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry
Humans
Male
Metabolomics
Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization
Temperature
English Thermal processes are widely used in small molecule chemical analysis and metabolomics for derivatization, vaporization, chromatography, and ionization, especially in gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC/MS). In this study the effect of heating was examined on a set of 64 small molecule standards and, separately, on human plasma metabolite extracts. The samples, either derivatized or underivatized, were heated at three different temperatures (60, 100, and 250 °C) at different exposure times (30 s, 60 s, and 300 s). All the samples were analyzed by liquid chromatography coupled to electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (LC/MS) and the data processed by XCMS Online ( xcmsonline.scripps.edu ). The results showed that heating at an elevated temperature of 100 °C had an appreciable effect on both the underivatized and derivatized molecules, and heating at 250 °C created substantial changes in the profile. For example, over 40% of the molecular peaks were altered in the plasma metabolite analysis after heating (250 °C, 300s) with a significant formation of degradation and transformation products. The analysis of 64 small molecule standards validated the temperature-induced changes observed on the plasma metabolites, where most of the small molecules degraded at elevated temperatures even after minimal exposure times (30 s). For example, tri- and diorganophosphates (e.g., adenosine triphosphate and adenosine diphosphate) were readily degraded into a mono-organophosphate (e.g., adenosine monophosphate) during heating. Nucleosides and nucleotides (e.g., inosine and inosine monophosphate) were also found to be transformed into purine derivatives (e.g., hypoxanthine). A newly formed transformation product, oleoyl ethyl amide, was identified in both the underivatized and derivatized forms of the plasma extracts and small molecule standard mixture, and was likely generated from oleic acid. Overall these analyses show that small molecules and metabolites undergo significant time-sensitive alterations when exposed to elevated temperatures, especially those conditions that mimic sample preparation and analysis in GC/MS experiments.
Language
  • English
Open access status
hybrid
Identifiers
Persistent URL
https://sonar.ch/global/documents/161376
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