Ambient mass spectrometry provides a comprehensive approach in obtaining rapid chemical profiles and also spatial distribution of a large variety of endogenous and exogenous analytes from a natural product without sample extraction or addition of any external label. Distribution of molecules in natural products (botanicals, microbial, and traditional medicines) can provide an understanding of spatial metabolomics, sample-environment interactions, and aid in compound screening. For example, location information of medically important compounds within a natural product will strengthen fundamental understanding of their metabolic origins, as well as, improve their extraction. For quality control, a detailed chemical profile of natural product can give valuable insight to a natural product’s geographical origin or species-specific information. Molecular images provided by MS are complementary to the structural information provided by optical microscopy.
Here, we share advances in ambient mass spectrometry such as multimodal molecular imaging of natural products using desorption electrospray ionization (DESI) and Rapid Evaporative Ionization Mass Spectrometry™ (REIMS™) for various botanical studies. From understanding the distribution of ginsenosides in panax ginseng, plant hormones in Phaseolus vulgaris L. to conducting rapid identification of different herbs using multivariate modeling of the chemical profiles, ambient mass spectrometry can be a very powerful analytical technique for natural product discovery and quality control.