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So, you need a new liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) system for your metabolite identification (metID) studies, and you are not sure which option is right for you. This blog provides an overview of the metID solutions offered by SCIEX, so you can make the best decision for your organization.

This is the first in a series of blogs intended to help you choose a system that meets your pharmaceutical research and development needs. We hope you find their guidance useful.

Let’s start with a simple question: Which of the following would help you sleep well at night?

• A: knowing your batch of samples will be complete by your deadline
• B: a clear identification of the site of metabolism for those extra complex samples

We have great news for you: SCIEX has solutions for enabling both A and B. Let’s take a closer look.

Scenario A
Let’s say you are looking for a system that will run larger batches of samples, and your analytes typically fragment well using collision-induced dissociation (CID), allowing confident identification of the site of metabolism without the need for additional confirmatory testing.

For a complex analysis, the requirements are relatively straightforward, and the priorities are probably ease of use and a robust system that does the job day in and day out. For this scenario, SCIEX recommends using the ExionLC 2.0+ system coupled to the X500R QTOF system, SCIEX OS software and maintenance with SCIEX service and support.
The workflow described in the technical note Targeted high-resolution metabolite screening workflows demonstrates the performance you can expect from this solution.

Scenario B
Suppose you have several samples where clear identification of the site of metabolism is not possible using CID. In this case, the use of a secondary analytical technique, such as nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), is often required to meet regulatory requirements. Since this approach can be both time-consuming and expensive, an LC-MS system with more analytical power is ideal. Potent therapeutics is another common challenge in this type of scenario, which makes method sensitivity a key requirement for detecting low-abundant metabolites.

In these circumstances, SCIEX recommends using the ExionLC 2.0+ system coupled to the ZenoTOF 7600 system, SCIEX OS software and maintenance with SCIEX service and support.

The ZenoTOF 7600 system features the Zeno trap for enhanced sensitivity and electron activated dissociation (EAD) as a complementary fragmentation option. EAD typically fragments the metabolite in different locations, which can provide the additional information required for clear identification of the site of metabolism from a single analytical technique.

The workflow described in the technical note Confident characterization and identification of glucuronide metabolites using diagnostic fragments from electron activated dissociation (EAD) is a useful example of this solution.

Learn more
For more information on the options SCIEX offers for metID, please speak to your account manager or visit our web page on comprehensive metID.