2.4 Phenylisothiocyanate and 3-nitrophenylhydrazine derivatization of serum and urine samples
Derivatization was employed to increase the coverage of the metabolites captured by metabolomics analysis. Phenylisothiocyanate (PITC) was used to derivatize amino acids, amino acid derivatives, biogenic amines, glucose/hexose, lipids, and acylcarnitines, whereas 3-nitrophenylhydrazine (3-NPH) was used to derivatize keto- and carboxyl-containing compounds. The protocols for PITC and 3-NPH derivatization were adapted from previously published work by Zheng et. al.