A method based on zero-quantum coherence transfer for spectral editing of metabolites in aqueous solution in a one-dimensional experiment is described. Water suppression factors of approximately 8000 were achieved by the use of pulsed B0 field gradients and excellent editing was obtained in a single acquisition. The methyl resonances of both lactate and acetaldehyde were readily observed in a mouse brain homogenate by generating zero-quantum coherence using Gaussian pulses for selective excitation of the respective CH resonances.