MS vs. NMR: Which One Is a Better Pick for Bio-fluids Analysis?

Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR) and mass spectrometry (MS) are the two most used profiling methods in metabolomics. You can use both methods to identify and detect metabolites but both NMR and MS have their pros and cons.

The technique that you'll choose as a researcher relies on the nature of your samples and the focus of the study at hand. But when should you go for NMR or MS?

This post compares NMR and MS and shows you when and why to use each technique.

When Should You Use NMR in Metabolomics?

A benchtop NMR is a versatile, cost-effective, and fast tool for performing metabolic profiling. But the method also has its downsides.

Here are the ups and downs of NMR applications.

The Advantages of Using Benchtop NMR

NMR analysis offers simultaneous quantification of lipids, ketone bodies, lipoproteins, and amino acids. It's a versatile metabolic profiling tool, which doesn't need extensive sample preparation steps.

Portable NMR equipment serves many purposes in metabolomics research. You can use the NMR technique in health tracking, predicting risks, and biomarker discovery. You may also use it to confirm and translate metabolic information to practice.

NMR technology provides a fast method for analyzing metabolites. NMR analysis is also less expensive when compared to MS analysis because NMR analysis requires no reference compounds for labeling. The labeling standards compounds are costly, and they make MS more expensive.

The Cons of NMR

In spite of being beneficial, tabletop NMR equipment has a few cons because the method requires significant sample volumes for analysis, and it has low sensitivity. Also, you can use the technique for only a small number of biomarkers.

When Should You Use Mass Spectrometry in the Analysis of Metabolites?

MS is a sensitive analytical technique, which you can use to analyze a significant number of metabolites using a tiny sample. But the method also has its cons, which include its expensive and slow nature as well as its poor reliability.

Here are the pros and cons of MS as compared to NMR analysis.

The Advantages of Using MS

MS provides a powerful method that offers a wide array of applications that include the quantification and identification of a wide variety of compounds or metabolites within samples.

MS is a sensitive analysis technique that you can use to quantify compounds to very low molecular concentrations of up to the picomolar and nanomolar levels.

If combined with chromatography, you can use MS to analyze secondary metabolites even at low detection levels; MS can allow you to analyze samples by using small volume samples as low as 10 ul serum/plasma.

The Cons of MS

MS has a batch effect because samples interact with the instruments, and to avoid the changes in the measured analyte response, the analysis has to take this factor into consideration when performing examinations. Reproducibility also declines because samples interact with instruments and thus reducing precision. MS is too slow and expensive, and its samples aren't recoverable for later analyses. It can also include cumbersome sample preps and serial dilutions that change from operator to operator, resulting in a higher risk of systematic error.

The range of benchtop NMR spectrometers used in these measurements typically range from 60 MHz to 100 MHz and are based on permanent magnet platforms. Based on the prevalence of use, benchtop NMR analyses are ideal for biomarker discovery, omics integration, and risk prediction. MS is suitable for metabolic profiling and the diagnosis of metabolic diseases.

In conclusion, both NMR and MS equipment are essential in analyzing metabolites, and it's almost impossible to perform a comprehensive analysis of metabolites with only one method. As such, NMR and MS are complementary techniques of analyses, which can help you in identifying metabolites. Contact us for more information.