The advancement of bioanalytical technologies has brought a new discipline to the pharmaceutical industry: quantifying the life of a drug and its metabolites. They used a combination of equipment to evaluate the chemistry of the drug. LC-MS is a bioanalytical assay that utilizes liquid chromatography’s physical separation capabilities with mass spectrometry’s mass analysis.
Liquid chromatography is a separation process used to isolate the individual components of a mixture. The mass transfer between a sample and a polar mobile phase and a non-polar stationary phase is involved in this process. On the other hand, a mass spectrometer is a device that creates ions and separates them based on their mass-to-charge ratio (m/z).
The lc ms method combines high-resolution chromatographic separation with sensitive and specific mass spectrum detection. In the history of chromatography, the combination of lc ms is a significant advancement. A sample’s elemental composition and structural elucidation can be determined using mass spectroscopy in LC-MS. . For the quantitative determination of biopharmaceuticals, it has recently become a more popular alternative to classic ligand-binding assays. And it has various benefits, including increased precision and accuracy, more excellent selectivity, and generic applicability without the need to raise analyte-directed antibodies.
What is LC-MS Method development, and what are its benefits?
The development of the sample extraction method and the LC-MS/MS instrument method are two elements of the lc ms method development.
- Sample extraction method development – Protein precipitation (PPT), liquid-liquid extraction (LLE), or solid-phase extraction (SPE) are some choices for sample extraction. PPT is a famous sample extraction procedure, especially in the early stages of development. It’s a quick method for small molecule analysis that produces clean sample extract solutions. The SPE method also has a more sterile resultant solution. LLE and SPE extract solutions are better suited for ultra-high performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC) examination.
- LC-MS/MS instrument method development – The development of LC-MS/MS instrument methods necessitates proper LC and MS system configurations. Based on method development time, analysis runs to time, and estimated number of samples per day, the most typically modified factors for LC system setup are mobile phase, LC column, gradient, flow rate, and column temperature. Its goal is to create a rapid, reliable approach to deliver a clear resolution of the analyte (s).
Benefits of LC-MS Testing
Traditional urinalysis has been the accurate drug screening method. However, other biological specimens such as hair, oral fluid, or sweat have significant advantages over urinalysis in workplace drug testing. The subject is more likely to perform the test since liquid chromatography with mass spectrometry (LC-MS) is a simple collection achieved without infringing on the examinee’s privacy.
It will most certainly become more frequent as time goes on. Conversely, when compared to direct injection methods, LC-MS gives greater specificity and sensitivity. Lc ms assay is utilized to obtain highly accurate results when paired with stable isotope dilution.
Because modern mass spectrometers are so sensitive, many immunoassays can now be replaced by LC-MS tests. As MS’s sensitivity improves, lc ms testing will become more appealing as prospective replacements for existing immunoassays.
Another benefit of lc ms assays is their ability to multiplex many analytes in a single analytical run at a low cost.