中药用于治疗人类疾病历史悠久且疗效确切，由于中药自身的复杂性，使得如何科学阐明中药的化学成分、炮制机制、药理和毒理作用机制等面临着巨大的挑战。目前常用的定性定量分析仪器，如超高效液相色谱-质谱联用仪等对科学阐释中药的复杂化学成分和药理作用机制做出了巨大贡献，但同时存在目标化学成分的位置和空间信息的缺失。质谱成像技术是一种新兴的分子可视化技术，既有质谱的定性鉴别能力，又可以直观可视化各种化学成分在样本中空间分布，可同时实现定性、定量、定位等3个维度的综合分析。目前，质谱成像在中药研究领域的应用取得了一系列研究成果。首先介绍了几种常用的质谱成像技术；然后重点综述了近年来质谱成像技术在中药分析领域的研究进展；进一步梳理质谱成像技术在应用中遇到的技术瓶颈和相应的解决措施；展望此技术在传统中药研究领域未来的发展趋势，为提升质谱成像技术在中药分析领域的应用提供参考。

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has a long history of treating human diseases with proven efficacy. However, due to the inherent complexity of TCM, significant challenges remain in scientifically elucidating its chemical composition, processing mechanisms, pharmacological and toxicological effects, and related mechanisms. Currently, commonly used qualitative and quantitative analytical instruments, such as ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS), have made substantial contributions to the scientific interpretation of the complex chemical components and pharmacological mechanisms of TCM. Nevertheless, these methods often fail to provide information on the spatial distribution and localization of target chemical components. Mass spectrometry imaging (MSI) is an emerging molecular visualization technique. It not only possesses the qualitative identification capabilities of mass spectrometry but also enables the intuitive visualization of the spatial distribution of various chemical components within a sample, allowing simultaneous qualitative, quantitative, and spatial analyses. Currently, MSI has achieved a series of research outcomes in the field of TCM research. Firstiy, several commonly used MSI techniques are introduced. It then focuses on reviewing the research progress of MSI in the field of TCM analysis in recent years. Furthermore, it summarizes the technical bottlenecks encountered in MSI applications and corresponding solutions. Finally, it discusses the future development trends of this technology in TCM research, aiming to provide reference for enhancing the application of MSI in field of TCM analysis.

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四川省科研院所基本科研项目（2025JDKY0027，2025JDKY0038）