Metabolic profiling by nm

Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy is a leading technique for the acquisition of metabolic profiles from complex biological matrices. The term profiling means the identification and quantification of as many metabolites as possible present in a particular biological mixture, assigned and integrated through the corresponding NMR signals. When coupled with statistical analyses, these quantitative data permit the detection of significant changes in concentrations that could be used for biomedical investigations (e.g., to identify potential biomarkers or to understand the biochemistry underlying the development of pathologies) or to characterize foodstuffs (e.g., to provide information about origin, traceability, and processing of agricultural products). Because metabolites are very sensitive to the procedures employed for sample handling and storage, to obtain meaningful results, standardized analytical and preanalytical procedures have to be strictly followed.