Abstract

ADVANCES IN INDUCTIVELY COUPLED PLASMA–MASS SPECTROMETRY (ICP-MS) FOR BIOANALYTICAL RESEARCH: APPLICATIONS, CHALLENGES, AND FUTURE PERSPECTIVES – A REVIEW

Tamilselvi N.*, Dhayananthan M., Rajasekaran A., Ponnilavarasan I., Thiruvengadarajan V. S., Sridhar S.

ABSTRACT

The inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) is a technique that is now being extensively used in the determination of the trace and ultra-trace elements in complex biological samples as a means of analysis. The fact that it is very sensitive, has low detection limits and can be used in quick multi-element analysis is what renders ICP-MS especially useful in contemporary bioanalytical studies. Over the last several years, the number of applications in life sciences and pharmaceutical research of the technique has grown due to the continuous improvement of instrumentation and methods of analysis. This review offers a summary of the basic concepts of ICP-MS such as the ionization of plasma, the components of the instrumentation, and its detection. New technologies like high-resolution ICP-MS, collision and reaction cells technology and triple quadrupole systems are also addressed and note how they have enhanced the accuracy of theanalysis and reduced the effects of interference. Moreover, other techniques of preparation of the biological sample which are frequently used such as acid digestion, Microwave-assisted digestion and contamination control measures are discussed. Major bioanalytical uses of ICP-MS including trace element analysis of biological samples, metallomics studies, pharmaceutical and drug analyses, clinical diagnostics, environmental exposure, and nanoparticle analysis are also discussed in the review. In addition, such conditions as spectral interferences and matrix effects are also discussed with references to the existing approaches to overcoming these limitations. The use of single-cell ICP-MS and nanoparticle analysis suggests that this method has a developing potential in the future of biomedical and environmental research.

Keywords: Inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), Trace element analysis, Bioanalytical applications, Metallomics, Pharmaceutical analysis, Nanoparticle detection.