Redefining dilute and shoot: The evolution of the technique and its application in the analysis of foods and biological matrices by liquid chromatography mass spectrometry

With laboratories seeking to expand analytical capabilities and create multi-class, multi-analyte methods, there has been a shift toward generic sample clean-up techniques such as “dilute-and-shoot”. Advantages of this methodology include its simplicity, minimal analyte losses, high sample throughput and number of analyte classes included. The evolution of dilute-and-shoot has permitted its use across a variety of matrices including food and biological and in various scientific fields such as food, forensics and environmental. The versatility of the technique permits the expansion of current fields of research without the usual laborious method development. There can be issues with matrix effects and robust quantitation as analyte number increases. This review provides an overview of the technique combined with liquid chromatography mass spectrometry, highlighting its power in facilitating multi-class analysis. Coupled with increases in instrument performance there is potential to employ this methodology in expanding analytical capabilities in many areas of life science research.