MALDI–mass spectrometry imaging: the metabolomic visualization

MALDI mass spectrometry imaging (MALDI–MSI) is a label free method that allows the visualization of different biomolecules directly on the tissues. With respect to conventional hyphenated approaches that require tissue homogenization, MALDI–MSI retains the spatial distribution of the tissue, and thus it can provide the exact localization of any given molecule. This chapter briefly outlines the analytical workflow of MALDI–MSI, comprising its principles, sample preparation strategies, and application for polar metabolites and lipids analysis, showing its potential employment in metabolomics and lipidomics, in biomedical and pharmaceutical field.