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The Rowett Institute

Liquid Chromatography Mass Spectrometry (LCMS)

Liquid Chromatography Mass Spectrometry (LCMS)

The Institute uses Liquid Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry to support research into programmes aimed at understanding the balance between diet and human health.

LC/MS is a powerful technique, combining the separation capabilities of liquid chromatography with the mass analysis capabilities of mass spectrometry. The LC/MS/MS instruments are used for the quantification of a range of metabolites by Multiple Reaction Monitoring (MRM) and the specificity of the MRM technique ensures greater sensitivity.

The section has 4 triple-quad mass spectrometers

  • AB Sciex Q-Trap 4000
  • AB Sciex API 3200
  • Agilent 6490
  • Shimadzu 8060

Types of metabolites we presently analyse include:

  • Phenolics
  • Flavanoids
  • Phospholipids
  • Vitamin D
  • Folates
  • Anthocyanins
  • Mycotoxins
  • Antibiotics
  • Saponins

Unraveling the Links between Diet and Human Health Using LC–MS–MS, link to article

Latest Publications

  • Neacsu, M., McMonagle, K.,M Fletcher R., Hulsof, T., Duncan, S.H., Scobbie, L., Duncan, G.J., Cantlay, L., Horgan, G., De Roos, B., Duthie, G.G., Russell, W.R. Molecular Nutrition & Food Research 30.06.2016 Availability and Dose Response of Phytophenols from a Wheat Bran-Rich Cereal Product in Healthy Human Volunteers.
  • Multari, S., Neacsu, M., Scobbie, L., Cantlay, L., Duncan, G., Vaughn, N., Stewart, D., Russell, W. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 14.06.2016 Nutritional and Phytochemical Content of High-Protein Crops.
  • Raikos, V., Neacsu, M., Duthie, G., Nicol, F., Reid, M., Cantlay, L., Ranawana, V. 2016 Journal of Food Processing and Preservation.Proteomic and Glucosinolate Profiling of Rapeseed Isolates from Meals Produced by Different Oil Extraction Processes’.
  • Duthie, S.J., Beattie, J., Gordon, M.J., Pirie, L.P., Nicol, F., Reid, M.D., Duncan, G.J., Cantlay, L., Horgan, G., McNeil, C.J. Genes & Nutrition 2015 Vol. 10 No. 1, pp 446.Nutritional B Vitamin Deficiency Alters the Expression of Key Proteins Associated with Vascular Smooth Muscle Cell Proliferation and Migration in the Aorta of Atherosclerotic Apolipoprotein E Null Mice.
  • Neacsu, M., Vaughan, N., Raikos, V., Multari, S., Duncan, G.J., Duthie, G.G., Russell, W.R.Food Chemistry 2015 Vol. 179 pp159-169. Phytochemical Profile of Commercially Available Food Plant Powders: Their Potential Role in Healthier Food Reformulations
  • Belmonte, R., Wang, T., Duncan, G.J., Skaar, I., Melida, H., Bulone, V., van West, P., Secombes, C.J. Infection and Immunity 2014 Vol. 82 pp 4518-4529. Role of Pathogen-Derived Cell Wall Carbohydrates and Prostaglandin E2 in Immune Response and Suppression of Fish Immunity by the Oomycete Saprolegnia parasitica.
  • Gratz, S.W., Richardson, A.J., Duncan, G., Holtrop, G. Food Additives and Contaminants 2014 Vol. 31 pp 1579-1585. Annual Variation of Dietary Deoxynivalenol Exposure During Years of Different Fusarium Prevalence: A Pilot Biomonitoring Study.
  • Neascu, M., McMonagle, J., Fletcher, R.J., Scobbie, L., Duncan, G.J., Cantlay, L., de Roos, B., Duthie, G.G., Russell, W.R. Food Chemistry 2013 Vol. 14 pp 2880-2886. Bound Phytophenols From Ready-to-Eat Cereals: Comparison with Other Plant-Based Foods.
  • Gratz, S.W., Duncan, G., Richardson, A.J. Annals of Nutrition and Metabolism 2013 Vol. 63 (Suppl. 1) p 1806. Microbial Metabolism and Intestinal Absorption of the Mycotoxin Deoxynivalenol and its Metabolites in Humans.
  • Gratz, S.W., Duncan, G., Richardson, A.J. Applied and Environmental Microbiology 2013 Vol. 79 pp 1821-1825. The Human Fecal Microbiota Metabolizes Deoxynivalenol and Deoxynivalenol-3-Glucosidec and May Be Responsible for Urinary Deepoxy-Deoxynivalenol.
  • Maloney, C.A., Hay, S.M., Reid, M.D., Duncan, G.J., Nicol, F., Sinclair, K.D., Rees, W.D. Genes and Nutrition 2013 Vol. 8 pp181-190. A Methyl-deficient Diet Fed to Rats During the Pre- and Peri-conception Periods of Development Modifies the Hepatic Proteome in the Adult Offspring.
  • Russell, W.R., Duncan, S.H., Scobbie, L., Duncan, G., Cantlay, L., Calder, A.G., Anderson, S.E., Flint, H.J. Molecular Nutrition and Food Research 2013 Vol. 57 pp 523-535. Major Phenylpropanoid-derived Metabolites in the Human Gut Can Arise From Microbial Fermentation of Protein.
  • Kaniewska, J., Bestwick, C.S., Russell, W.R., Scobbie, L., Duncan, G., Milne, L., Duthie, S.J. Colorectal cancer: do phytophenols in the human diet prevent genomic instability? Mutagenesis, 27 (6) November 2012 pp 802-803.
  • Rodrguez-Gutirrez, G., Duthie, G. G., Wood, S., Morrice, P., Nicol, F., Reid, M., Cantlay, L. L., Kelder, T., Horgan, G. W., Fernndez-Bolaos Guzmn, J. Alperujo extract, hydroxytyrosol, and 3,4-dihydroxyphenylglycol are bioavailable and have antioxidant properties in vitamin E-deficient rats-a proteomics and network analysis approach.  Molecular Nutrition and Food Research, 56 (7) July 2012 pp. 1137-1147
  • Robins, S.P., Wilson, N.J., Duncan, G. Anal. Biochem. 2012 in press. Determination of Immature and Mature Collagen Cross-links and the Desmosines of Elastin by Liquid Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry in Tissues and Urine.
  • Rodriguez-Gutierrez, G., Duthie, G.G., Wood, S., Morrice, P.C., Nicol, F., Reid, M.D., Cantlay, L.L., Kelder, T., Horgan, G.W., Fernandez-Bolanos Guzman, J., De Roos, B. Mol. Nut. & Food Res. 2012 in press. Alperujo Extract, Hydroxytyrosol and 3,4-Dihydroxyphenylglycol are Bioavailable and have Antioxidant Properties in Vitamin-E Deficient Rats – A Proteomic and Network Analysis Approach.
  • Rungapamestry, V., McMonagle, J., Reynolds, C., Rucklidge, G.J., Reid, M.D., Duncan, G.J., Ross, K., Horgan, G.W., Toomey, S., Moloney, A.P., De Roos, B., Roche, H. Proteomics 2012 Vol. 12 pp 461-476. Inter-organ Proteomic Analysis Reveals Insights into the Molecular Mechanisms Underlying the Anti-diabetic Effects of cis-9, trans-11 Conjugated Linoleic Acid in ob/ob Mice.
  • Russell, W.R., Gratz, S.W., Duncan, S.H., Holtrop, G., Ince, J., Scobbie, L., Duncan, G., Johnstone, A.M., Lobley, G.E., Wallace, R.J., Duthie, G.G., Flint, H.J. Am. J. Clin. Nut. 2011 Vol 93 pp 1062-1072. High-Protein, Reduced-Carbohydrate Weight-Loss Diets to Promote Metabolite Profiles Likely to be Detrimental to Colonic Health.
  • De Roos, B., Zhang, X., Gutierrez, G.R., Wood, S., Rucklidge, G.J., Reid, M.D., Duncan, G.J., Cantlay, L.L., Duthie, G.G., O’Kennedy, N. Eur. J. Nut. 2011 Vol. 50 pp 553-562. Anti-platelet Effects of Olive Oil Extract: In Vitro Functional and Proteomic Studies.
  • Padidar, S., Farquharson, A.J., Williams, L.M., Hoggard, N., Reid, M.D., Duncan, G.J., Drew, J.E. Dig. Dis. Sci. 2011 Vol. 56 pp 1028-1036. Impact of Obesity and Leptin on Protein Expression Profiles in Mouse Colon.