Carnitines, essential for human metabolism and fatty acid transport, are primarily obtained from the diet. Inadequate synthesis or intake can lead to serious metabolic disorders, which may result in fatal outcomes. Therefore, the accurate determination of carnitines in both food and biological samples is of high importance. However, these samples are inherently complex and require meticulous preparation procedures before determination. This step is critical for enhancing the sensitivity and precision of the detection process. Moreover, the selection of an appropriate detection method is crucial and must match the analytes’ characteristics. For example, since carnitines lack chromophores for spectroscopic detection, they require derivatization to become spectroscopically visible. Among the various methods available for carnitine determination, chromatography and mass spectrometry are the most prominent, owing to their superior selectivity and sensitivity. Nonetheless, there seems to be a lack of comprehensive reviews on this subject. Consequently, this article aims to compile the latest advancements in analytical methodologies for carnitines over the past decade (2013–2023), with a particular emphasis on the crucial contributions of chromatography and mass spectrometry techniques. This review provides crucial insights for metabolic research, underpinning advances in understanding carnitine's metabolic roles. It aims to highlight current innovations in carnitine analysis and inspire future breakthroughs impacting nutrition, diagnostics, and therapy.

中文翻译：

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食品和生物样品中的肉碱分析：色谱和质谱分析见解

肉碱对于人体新陈代谢和脂肪酸运输至关重要，主要从饮食中获取。合成或摄入不足会导致严重的代谢紊乱，从而可能导致致命的结果。因此，准确测定食品和生物样品中的肉碱非常重要。然而，这些样品本质上很复杂，在测定前需要细致的制备程序。此步骤对于提高检测过程的灵敏度和精度至关重要。此外，选择合适的检测方法至关重要，并且必须符合分析物的特性。例如，由于肉碱缺乏用于光谱检测的发色团，因此它们需要衍生化才能在光谱上可见。在可用于测定肉毒碱的各种方法中，色谱法和质谱法因其优异的选择性和灵敏度而最为突出。尽管如此，似乎缺乏对此主题的全面审查。因此，本文旨在汇编过去十年（2013-2023）肉碱分析方法的最新进展，特别强调色谱和质谱技术的关键贡献。这篇综述为代谢研究提供了重要的见解，为了解肉毒碱的代谢作用奠定了基础。它旨在突出当前肉碱分析方面的创新，并激发影响营养、诊断和治疗的未来突破。