Metabolomics:Concept, Techniques and Pharmacological Relevance

Objectives: To review the concept of metabolomics, the methods and analytical techniques employed in metabolic profiling and applications of metabolomics in pharmacology.

Data Sources: Primary literature and review articles were obtained via PUBMED, Science Direct and BioMed Central search using the key term metabolomics. Additional studies were identified from bibliography of reviewed literature.

Data Synthesis: Metabolomics is the study of metabolism at a global level in a cell, tissue or organism mostly by means of analyzing biological fluids. Thousands of molecules known and unknown can be identified and quantified using various analytical techniques, the widely used being mass spectrometry and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The large amount of data generated through these methods is managed through bioinformatic tools that help to simplify the complex data. Lastly, this review discusses the application of metabolomics in various aspects of pharmacology such as drug discovery, disease diagnosis and therapeutic monitoring. The potential of pharmacometabolomics to achieve the goal of individualized drug therapy has also been studied.

Conclusion: Metabolomics will have an impact on pharmaceutical research and development. Along with pharmacogenomics, pharmacometabolomics will aid in better understanding of variations in individual response to drug treatment and also adverse drug effects.