New advances in analytical methods for mass spectrometry-based large-scale metabolomics study

• Published in: TrAC, Trends in analytical chemistry (Regular ed.) Trends in analytical chemistry (Regular ed.), 2019-12, Vol.121, p.115665, Article 115665
• Main Authors: Liu, Xinyu, Zhou, Lina, Shi, Xianzhe, Xu, Guowang
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Large-scale metabolomics; Mass spectrometry; Nontargeted; Pseudotargeted; Targeted
• ISSN: 0165-9936; 1879-3142
• DOI: 10.1016/j.trac.2019.115665

Large-scale metabolomics study based on large population cohorts is increasingly applied to identify important metabolites or critical metabolic alterations related to the metabolite perturbation in disease states or under interventions and to investigate metabolic difference and stimuli response in genetically different individuals. Mass spectrometry (MS) coupled with different chromatographic methods, is suitable for large-scale metabolomics study due to its high sensitivity and selectivity, wide dynamic range, and rich information. However, there are still a series of challenges for really realizing large-scale metabolomics applications. Hence, in this review, we mainly focused on new advances in sample pretreatment methods, nontargeted, targeted and pseudotargeted metabolic data collection techniques, and data correction methods used for MS-based large-scale metabolomics study. Typical applications of MS-based large-scale metabolomics methods in molecular epidemiology, precision medicine, and genome-wide association studies with metabolomics (mGWAS) are also given. •Large-scale metabolomics study is increasingly applied in diseases-related fields.•Mass spectrometry is a main platform for large-scale metabolomics due to its unique advantages.•Advances in sample pretreatment methods, metabolic data collection techniques and data correction methods were summarized.•Typical applications of large-scale metabolomics in precision medicine, molecular epidemiology and mGWAS are given.