Application of metabolomics in toxicology
-
Graphical Abstract
-
Abstract
Metabolomics has been labeled one of the new "omics", joining genomics, transcriptomics, and proteomics as an interdisciplinary science integrating many advanced analytical technologies including chromatography-mass spectrometry (MS) and/or nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), biochemistry, and bioinformatics. Metabolomics, as a tool of understanding global systems biology, has been employed to investigate the homeostasis of downstream metabolites generated by biological activities. Metabolomics is an emerging alternative and complementary technology in toxicology study as it has been widely used to rapidly diagnose early toxicity, explore subsequent toxic mechanism, and identify corresponding biomarkers by profiling metabolite changes induced by toxins and/or toxicants in biofluids, cells, and tissues. This article reviewed and discussed the current technical development of metabolomics, and its applications and challenges in toxicology.
-
-