Tongue-coating metabolite detection was performed using the gas chromatography-quadrupole mass spectrometer (
Thermo Trace DSQ, USA, Thermo Fisher Scientific).
The chromatographic condition
the specifications of the chromatographic column were 60 m × 0.25 mmi.d.×0.25 μm, TR-5MS
the initial temperature was set to 80°C and kept for 2 minutes before being ramped up to 140°C at a rate of 10°C/min. The temperature then continued to be ramped up to 240°C at a rate of 4°C/min and to 280°C at a rate of 10°C/min, then held at 280°C for 10 minutes
the carrier gas was helium with a flow rate of 1.0 mL/min
the temperature of the injection port was 280°C, and the injection volume was 0.2 μL
The condition of mass spectrometry
the solvent delay was 8 minutes
the temperature of the ion source was 250°C, and the temperature of ports was 280°C
MS scanning range was from 40 to 500 Da by M/Z
the ionization mode was EI
the electron energy was 70 eV
Each sample was injected three times continuously. Every tongue-coating sample processed by the silane derivative method was divided into three identical aliquots for injection to avoid error.
Hao Y., Yuan X., Yan J., Pham M., Rohlsen D., Qian P., Cheng F, & Wang Y. (2019). Metabolomic Markers in Tongue-Coating Samples from Damp Phlegm Pattern Patients of Coronary Heart Disease and Chronic Renal Failure. Disease Markers, 2019, 4106293.