Application of gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry in bioanalytical research

Introduction. Since the second half of the 20th century, methods previously used in analytical and organic chemistry have been actively introduced into biomedical sciences, leading to the emergence of a new interdisciplinary field for the qualitative and quantitative analysis of biological objects – bioanalytical research (bioanalytics). Gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC-MS) or tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS) has become one of the key tools due to its high sensitivity and informative value.
Objective. To analyse the relevance and potential applications of GC-MS and GC-MS/MS in modern bioanalytical research.
Materials and methods. A review of publications in the databases PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science and eLibrary for the period 2010–2026 was performed using the keywords gas chromatography, mass spectrometry, GC-MS, GC-MS/MS, bioanalytics, pharmacokinetics, chemical and toxicological analysis, metabolomic, biomarkers. The review included original studies and reviews containing data on the application of these methods to biological samples (blood, urine, exhaled breath, tissues) have been selected. The data are systematized by bioanalytical fields with particular attention paid to methods of sample preparation, analysis conditions and detection parameters.
Results. It was found that GC-MS and GC-MS/MS are widely used in pharmacokinetics, chemical-toxicological, forensic chemical analysis and in metabolomic studies. The advantages of GC-MS include high reproducibility of mass spectra on instruments from different manufacturers, which enables the creation of universal spectral libraries for rapid components identification. Moreover, GC-MS and GC-MS/MS are the most suitable methods for studying volatile compounds released by living organisms, for example, in exhaled breath. Various derivatization methods are successfully used for the analysis of thermolabile compounds.
Conclusion. Thus, GC-MS and GC-MS/MS remain in demand in bioanalytics. Owing to their ability to separate multicomponent mixtures and the subsequently identify components with high selectivity, these methods are employed in pharmacokinetics, forensic chemical, chemical-toxicological analyses and metabolomic research.

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