Application of metabolomics technology in the research of Chinese medicine.

In recent years, a novel analytical technology, metabolomics is widely used in the modern research of Chinese medicine (CM). Metabolomics adopts a "top-down" strategy to reflect the function of organisms from terminal symptoms of metabolic network and understand metabolic changes of a complete system caused by interventions. As a holistic approach, metabolomics technology, including nuclear magnetic resonance, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry, favorable to express the meaning of basic theories of CM, CM syndrome and Chinese herb. Therefore, we believe that metabolomics technology will greatly benefit to development for the research of CM in the light of modern sciences.