Study of the syndromes of traditional Chinese medicine in terms of metabonomics technology: the current situation and considerations

Abstract

Syndromes constitute a core aspect in the study of Chinese medicine, and research on the concept of syndromes is important to the study of the process of modernization of traditional Chinese medicine. However, it is somewhat challenging to define a syndrome due to the complexity inherent in the subject, even with the assistance of the reductionism approach of modern medicine. Holistic and dynamic in nature and attaching much importance to functional changes, the newly emerging metabonomics is in many ways inline with the concepts of syndrome differentiation of pathological states in traditional Chinese medicine. Therefore, metabonomics has comparatively strong advantages in the very respect of revealing the natural laws of syndrome differentiation. By reviewing and analyzing the current research on the concept of syndromes and the application of metabonomic technology to exploring the essential core of syndrome differentiation, the authors illustrated the potential commonalities. This would also show the issues requiring attention between the study of syndromes and the metabonomic technology. In the meantime this study reflected the core problems in detail and put forward suggestions with regard to reaching solutions.