Animal Hormone Detection
Animal hormones are a class of highly potent signaling molecules primarily produced by endocrine glands or secretory cells. Even in trace amounts, they play a fundamental role in regulating critical physiological processes such as growth, development, reproduction, metabolism, and stress response. Therefore, precise measurement of hormone levels in animals is of great significance for basic life science research, livestock production management, food safety monitoring, and drug development.
Traditional hormone detection methods (e.g., immunoassays) often face challenges with cross-reactivity and specificity when analyzing multiple structurally similar hormones simultaneously. To address this, we offer a Targeted Metabolomics Animal Hormone Detection Service based on an advanced liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) platform. This service provides a high-throughput, highly sensitive, and highly specific absolute quantification solution, empowering you to accurately decipher the hormonal regulatory network within animals.
Figure 1. Classification of animal hormones. (Source: Juhi Bhadresh Raval, et al. 2023)
Our Services
This service is built around a High-Performance Liquid Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) platform. This technology combines the superior separation power of liquid chromatography with the high sensitivity and specificity of mass spectrometry detection, making it particularly suitable for the precise analysis of trace hormones in complex biological matrices.
Our optimized and validated method enables accurate qualitative and absolute quantitative analysis of the following 15 animal hormones, covering major physiological functions:
- Glucocorticoids: Corticosterone, Cortisol, Cortisone, 11-Deoxycorticosterone, 11-Deoxycortisol
- Mineralocorticoid: Aldosterone
- Estrogens: Estrone, Estradiol, Estriol
- Progestogen: Progesterone
- Androgens: Testosterone, Dihydrotestosterone, Androsterone, Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA)
- Others: Melatonin
Service Advantages
- High Sensitivity & Broad Dynamic Range: The method features low limits of detection (reaching µg/L or lower), enabling accurate measurement of trace hormones in samples like serum and tissue. A wide calibration curve range (e.g., 0.0025-100 ng/mL) covers both basal physiological and abnormally high concentrations.
- High Specificity & Accuracy: Chromatographic separation coupled with Multiple Reaction Monitoring (MRM) effectively distinguishes structurally similar hormone isomers, avoiding immunological cross-reactivity for more reliable results. Quantification uses an isotope-labeled internal standard method to correct for losses and matrix effects during sample preparation and instrument analysis, ensuring absolute data accuracy.
- High Throughput & Efficiency: A single injection can simultaneously analyze over a dozen hormones, significantly improving analytical efficiency—ideal for large-scale sample screening and cohort studies.
- Stable & Reproducible Methodology: The entire process is standardized, with low inter- and intra-assay coefficients of variation, ensuring high data repeatability and comparability.
Workflow
We discuss your research objectives and sample details to finalize the testing plan.
Please prepare samples according to the "Sample Preparation Requirements" below and ship them with sufficient dry ice.
The laboratory checks sample information and logs them into the system.
Robust techniques like solid-phase extraction are used for sample extraction, purification, and concentration to remove matrix interference and enhance detection sensitivity.
Samples are analyzed using optimized chromatography gradients and mass spectrometry methods.
Absolute quantification is performed based on internal standards, accompanied by strict quality control procedures.
You receive a professional report containing complete project information, experimental procedures, MS parameters, absolute quantitative results, and representative chromatograms.
Sample Preparation Requirements
| Sample Type | Pre-processing & Shipping Requirements |
| Serum/Plasma | Collect using EDTA or heparin tubes. Centrifuge, aliquot, and immediately freeze at -80°C. Ship on dry ice. |
| Animal Tissue (e.g., liver, brain, muscle) | Snap-freeze in liquid nitrogen immediately after collection, then store at -80°C. Ship on dry ice. |
| Urine | Centrifuge to remove precipitate. Aliquot supernatant and freeze at -80°C. Ship on dry ice. |
| Cells | Wash with PBS, centrifuge to collect cell pellet, snap-freeze in liquid nitrogen, and store at -80°C. Ship on dry ice. |
- Clear Labeling: Please label all tubes with a unique, clear identifier (avoid simple A/B/C or 1/2/3). Use labels on both the tube and its container.
- Avoid Freeze-Thaw Cycles: Maintain sample stability by avoiding repeated freeze-thaw cycles during storage and transport.
Reference
- Juhi Bhadresh Raval, et al. Functional nanostructures in analytical chemistry: new insights into the optical and electrochemical sensing of animal hormones in food, environmental and biological samples. Sens. Diagn. 2023 Jun 6. 2, 815-836.
