Sample Preparation Method for Mass Spectrometry‐Based Metabolomics

Metabolomics is the link between genotypes and phenotypes and is considered as an emerging but powerful tool for precision medicine. It can provide a global quantitative analysis on a wide range of metabolites in biological samples, especially biofluid samples, for example, urine, plasma, serum, cerebrospinal fluid, saliva, synovial fluid, tissue homogenates, etc. Metabolite changes as indicators are an important part in the clinical practice, and analysis of these endogenous small-molecule metabolites in body fluids can be used to monitor the states for diseases. This mass spectrometry-based metabolomics platform has been widely used to provide the sensitive and reproducible detection of thousands of metabolites in biofluid samples. This chapter will give a brief description of the development and applications of sample preparation method for mass spectrometry-based metabolomics analysis, and the potential and limitations as well as new trends in the development of sample preparation are also discussed.