Table 6

Single performance of each rule of the seven rules from a total of 696 formulas comprising the elements CHNSOP and Si, calculated from GC-TOF data of sorbitol TMS6

Rules for molecular formula filtering

Single application of each rule


1) heuristic restrictions for number of elements

not used (smart H option instead)

2) perform LEWIS and SENIOR check

can remove 420 candidates

3) isotopic pattern filter at 5% error

can remove 668 candidates

isotopic pattern filter at 10% error

can remove 632 candidates

isotopic pattern filter at 20% error

can remove 462 candidates

4) H/C ratio check (hydrogen/carbon ratio)

can remove 56 candidates

5) NOPS ratio check (N, O, P, S/C ratios)

can remove 51 candidates

6) heuristic HNOPS probability check

can remove 180 candidates

7) TMS check

can remove 432 candidates


combined 10 candidates left


Kind and Fiehn BMC Bioinformatics 2007 8:105   doi:10.1186/1471-2105-8-105

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