Isotope Labeled Metabolites
Isotope-labeled metabolites are compounds crucial for studying metabolic processes in biological systems. These metabolites are modified to contain stable isotopes, such as carbon-13 or deuterium, allowing researchers to track their movement and transformations within cells and organisms. By introducing isotope-labeled metabolites into biological samples, researchers can trace their pathways, interactions, and metabolic fate, providing insights into metabolic fluxes and pathway activities. These labeled metabolites are particularly valuable in metabolomics, a field focused on comprehensively analyzing metabolites in biological systems. Isotope-labeled metabolites serve as internal standards or tracers, aiding in quantification and pathway elucidation. They are also used in drug metabolism studies, helping identify and quantify drug metabolites. Overall, isotope-labeled metabolites are indispensable tools in understanding metabolic processes, and aiding in disease research, biomarker discovery, and drug development.