CIL offers the most complete listing of stable isotopically labeled metabolic substrates available. These metabolic substrates are labeled with ¹³C, ¹⁵N, ¹⁸O, D, as well as other stable isotopes. Some of the many applications for these materials include the utilization of amino acids for protein turnover studies, carbohydrates for glucose metabolism studies, and fatty acids for lipolysis research. Stable isotope labeling of these materials allows investigators to study metabolic pathways in living systems in a manner which is safe, accurate and non-invasive.

Isotope-dilution mass spectrometry (IDMS) is inarguably the most accurate, sensitive, reproducible and popular method available for quantifying small and intermediate-sized molecules in a wide range of sample types. One primary reason why compounds enriched in stable isotopes make ideal internal standards for comparative or absolute quantitation using mass spectrometry is that separate signals from the “heavy” (isotope enriched) and “light” (native) forms of the same compound are detected simultaneously.
¹³C and ¹⁵N nuclei are NMR active, and thus compounds enriched in these isotopes allow for magnetic resonance detection. The large chemical shift range and favorable relaxation properties of the ¹³C nucleus has made ¹³C-enriched substrates highly valuable probes of cellular chemistry and metabolism, particularly in the rapidly advancing field of hyperpolarisation.

CIL recognises the importance of high chemical purity and isotopic enrichment for metabolic studies. For this reason, all products are tested to the meet high specifications for both. All products are shipped with a Certificate of Analysis that indicates the passing results and an MSDS to describe the product even further. CIL may be able to provide additional data upon request.

CIL offers different grades of products for your metabolic research. These include research grade, microbiological and pyrogen tested and cGMP grade. An Enhanced Technical Data Package is also available for some products. Please inquire for details.

All metabolic products can be found in our online catalogue or alternatively they can also be found in our Stable Isotope Products for Metabolic Research catalogue. The product group as a whole is also covered in our Stable Isotopes for Mass Spectrometry catalogue. Specific product area pages are listed below and provide additional information and resources for each area. If you have any questions or would like to discuss any element of your metabolic work then please don’t hesitate to contact us.