Non-Targeted Analysis of Metabolites in Alcoholic Beverages Using LabSolutions Insight Profiler

User Benefits

- Using an LC-QTOFMS system with LabSolutions Insight Profiler non-targeted analysis software enables comprehensive comparative analysis of metabolites in food samples. - Principal component analysis and volcano plots can be used to detect characteristic features in each sample. - A variety of functions, including MS/MS spectral library searching, enable easy qualitative analysis of components.

Introduction

Metabolomics, a technique that analyzes metabolites in living organisms, is increasingly being applied in the food industry for product development and quality control. A particularly powerful approach is non-targeted metabolomics, which aims to analyze not only known metabolites but also unknown compounds without prior assumptions to reveal unexpected chemical differences between samples. Quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (QTOFMS), with its accurate-mass capability, is well suited for this purpose. However, the large volume of generated data creates challenges for feature identification and data comparison. This article presents a case study in which LabSolutions Insight Profiler, a software platform for non-targeted analysis, was used to characterize compounds in beer and beer-like beverages. Peak detection, retention-time alignment, and library searching were performed across multiple datasets. Multivariate analysis revealed compound profiles that likely reflect the differences in raw materials and manufacturing processes, demonstrating the utility of the approach for beverage characterization.

July 29, 2026 GMT