Lipids are a class of organic molecules found in nature that are hydrophobic or amphiphilic, insoluble in water but soluble in nonpolar solvents. They are present in most biological systems and serve as the structural material for cell membranes and the secondary source of energy. Lipids also participate in many important cellular functions. Many major human diseases are related to disorders in lipid metabolism, such as diabetes, obesity, cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, and some infectious diseases.
As an important branch of metabolomics, lipidomics focuses on studying all lipid molecules in organisms and inferring changes in other biomolecules interacting with lipids, thereby revealing the important role of lipids in various life activities. Lipidomics is an overall study of lipid compounds related to these diseases, aiming to identify biomarkers that indicate these diseases.