Core Services & Validations
We provide specialized chemical profiling and non-target screening (NTS) solutions across three core matrices, backed by rigorous scientific literature and peer-reviewed validations.
Characterization of Plant-Derived & Plant Based Products
NTS Analytica provides end-to-end analytical chemistry services, from experimental design through advanced chemical analysis, to the expert interpretation and communication of complex data. Leveraging gas- and liquid chromatography and high-resolution mass spectrometry, we specialize in characterizing complex biological matrices. Our core analytical services are structured around the following specialized testing categories:
Lipidic Bioactives in Plant-Derived Products
We offer comprehensive exploratory analysis, compound identification, and quantification for a subset of non-glyceridic lipids. Using high-temperature GC-MS approaches, we map sample profiles to assess raw material quality and characterization.
Analyte Focus
- Phytosterols: Including Δ7-sterols (e.g., spinasterol).
- Triterpenes: Pentacyclic and tetracyclic triterpene alcohols, along with their corresponding acetate and cinnamate esters.
- Tocopherols: Vitamin E isomers for quality control and shelf-life profiling.
- Fatty Acids & Esters: Free fatty acids (FFAs), fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs), and fatty acid ethyl esters (FAEEs).
Identification & Quantification
We provide absolute quantification utilizing authentic chemical standards. For rare or commercially unavailable compounds, we utilize structurally and chemically related analogue standards, employing precise relative intensity correction factors derived from extensive MS library spectral data.
Polar Bioactives in Plant-Derived Products
We offer comprehensive exploratory analysis, compound identification, and quantification for a subset of phenolics and saponins. Utilizing reversed-phase ultra-high-pressure liquid chromatography and high-resolution mass spectrometry, we provide detailed profiling of polar secondary metabolites.
Analyte Focus
- Phenolics & Saponins: Profiling and relative quantitation.
- Monomeric Flavonoids: Highly targeted analysis (e.g., quercetin, luteolin).
- Flavornoid Glycosides: Characterization of polar secondary metabolites.
Identification & Quantification
Compounds are identified by retention times, high-resolution mass spectrometry fragmentation experiments, and comparisons to either mass spectral libraries or authentic standards (when available). For selected polar compounds, we offer targeted absolute quantification.
Qualitative Lipid Profiling
As a complementary service, we provide qualitative lipid profiling to observe general degradation patterns across samples. We extract LC-HRMS profiles to compare the overall integrity of the lipid matrix.
Matrix Assessment
- Neutral Lipids: Profiling of tri- and diglycerides to observe general degradation patterns.
- Polar Lipids: Profiling of glycolipids and phospholipids to compare the overall matrix integrity.
NTS as decision support tool for environmental quality
Traditional target analyses monitor only pre-selected lists of contaminants. NTS Analytica provides comprehensive chemical fingerprinting using high-resolution mass spectrometry to capture, track, and identify known and unknown organic micropollutants in environmental matrices.
NTS as decision support tool for wastewater quality
What is in the wastewater?
- ▢ Map the full chemical fingerprint of municipal or industrial wastewater beyond routine target lists.
- ▢ Identify chemicals of concern that conventional methods struggle to capture, including highly polar compounds that pass through treatment undetected due to their water solubility, or volatile compounds that are easily overlooked.
- ▢ Example compounds: pharmaceuticals and their metabolites, polar pesticides, industrial additives, surfactants, PFAS, corrosion inhibitors.
Figure 1: Example of rarely detected or newly identified chemicals of the compound class "ionic liquids" in wastewater, whose fate can be tracked throughout the wastewater treatment process. Reference: Tisler et al., 2025b.
Where do the chemicals come from?
- ▢ Use the chemical fingerprint as a diagnostic tool for source tracking: pinpointing industrial spills, intermittent discharges, or illicit dumping events.
- ▢ Distinguish between municipal and industrial contributions based on unique chemical signatures.
- ▢ Identify the likely industrial sector behind an unknown discharge (e.g. chemical manufacturing, textile, food processing, or others) without prior knowledge of what to look for.
Figure 2: Identification of chemicals before and after wastewater treatment, as well as in the environment (e.g., fate of the pharmaceutical Fluoxetine). Reference: Tisler et al., 2019.
What happens in wastewater treatment?
- ▢ Track the fate of the chemical fingerprint across treatment steps: which compounds are removed, which are stable, and which transformation products are formed.
- ▢ Evaluate treatment performance holistically, going beyond a handful of target compounds.
- ▢ Identify breakthrough chemicals that survive treatment and may pose risks in receiving water bodies.
Figure 3: Example of simple NTS evaluation based on chromatographic peaks to evaluate treatment performance. Reference: Tisler et al., 2022b.
How does the chemical profile change over time?
Monitor temporal variation in discharge composition to detect seasonal patterns, process changes, or irregular emission events. Follow the evolution of industrial effluent over time to assess compliance, and establish chemical baselines that enable early warning when unexpected substances enter the system.
NTS as decision support tool for drinking water quality
What is in the drinking water?
- ▢ Find, prioritize, and act on unknown contaminants that routine target lists miss.
- ▢ Support early warning for emerging contaminants, and guide follow-up decisions such as confirmation, treatment evaluation, and monitoring design.
- ▢ Example compounds: unconventional PFAS, pesticide transformation products/metabolites, plasticizer.
Figure 1: Example of known and unknown compounds occurring in drinking water.
What happens in drinking water treatment?
- ▢ Track the fate of the chemical fingerprint: how many features are degraded, stable, or formed in the treatment process.
- ▢ Follow the fate of identified contaminants.
Figure 2: Micropollutant and transformation product fate mapping through advanced oxidation processes and activated carbon filtration.
Figure 3: Example of transformation processes and the resulting transformation products identified following advanced oxidation and activated carbon filtration.