Abstract

Previously, we investigated the capacity of a metabolomics research approach to characterise and differentiate between various infectious Mycobacterium species andPseudomonas aeruginosa, and compared two extraction procedures, prior to gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and statistical data analyses. In the current investigation, we report that the minimum sample material required (detection limit) for this speciation is 250 cells, using the total metabolome extraction method, and 2500 cells, using the fatty acid metabolome extraction procedure. Considering these detection limits, both methods compared significantly well with the currently used tuberculosis diagnostic methods and have the potential to be implemented clinically.

Key words: Detection limit, tuberculosis, metabolomics

Abbreviation

TB, Tuberculosis; GC-MS, gas chromatography mass spectrometry;PCA, principal component analysis; AMDIS, automated mass spectral deconvolution and identification system; MYCO-LCS, Sherlock Mycobacteria identification system.