Duan Li-Xin, Dai Yun-Tao, Sun Chao, Chen Shi-Lin
Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100093, China.
Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing 100700, China.
Zhongguo Zhong Yao Za Zhi. 2016 Nov;41(22):4090-4095. doi: 10.4268/cjcmm20162202.
Metabolomics is the comprehensively study of chemical processes involving small molecule metabolites. It is an important part of systems biology, and is widely applied in complex traditional Chinese medicine（TCM）system. Metabolites biosynthesized by medicinal plants are the effective basis for TCM. Metabolomics studies of medicinal plants will usher in a new period of vigorous development with the implementation of Herb Genome Program and the development of TCM synthetic biology. This manuscript introduces the recent research progresses of metabolomics technology and the main research contents of metabolomics studies for medicinal plants, including identification and quality evaluation for medicinal plants, cultivars breeding, stress resistance, metabolic pathways, metabolic network, metabolic engineering and synthetic biology researches. The integration of genomics, transcriptomics and metabolomics approaches will finally lay foundation for breeding of medicinal plants, R&D, quality and safety evaluation of innovative drug.
代谢组学是对涉及小分子代谢物的化学过程进行的全面研究。它是系统生物学的重要组成部分，在复杂的中药体系中有着广泛应用。药用植物生物合成的代谢产物是中药的有效物质基础。随着草药基因组计划的实施和中药合成生物学的发展，药用植物的代谢组学研究将迎来蓬勃发展的新时期。本文介绍了代谢组学技术的最新研究进展以及药用植物代谢组学研究的主要内容，包括药用植物的鉴定与质量评价、品种选育、抗逆性、代谢途径、代谢网络、代谢工程及合成生物学研究等。基因组学、转录组学和代谢组学方法的整合最终将为药用植物育种、创新药物研发、质量及安全性评价奠定基础。
