Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40540818›Full record

ArticleJournal of pharmaceutical and biomedical analysis2025

Handheld Spatially Offset Raman Spectroscopy for rapid non-invasive detection of ethylene glycol and diethylene glycol in medicinal syrups.

Sneha Banerjee, Sara Mosca, Isabelle Legge, Bevin Gangadharan, John Walsby-Tickle, Benediktus Yohan Arman, Robert Stokes, Tehmina Bharucha, Michael Deats, Hamid A Merchant and 5 more

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of pharmaceutical and biomedical analysis, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

15 authors.

Sneha BanerjeeCentral Laser Facility, Research Complex at Harwell, STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, UKRI, Harwell Campus, OX11 0QX, UK.
Sara MoscaCentral Laser Facility, Research Complex at Harwell, STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, UKRI, Harwell Campus, OX11 0QX, UK.
Isabelle LeggeDepartment of Chemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3TA, UK.
Bevin GangadharanDepartment of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3QU, UK; Kavli Institute for Nanoscience Discovery, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3QU, UK.
John Walsby-TickleDepartment of Chemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3TA, UK.
Benediktus Yohan ArmanDepartment of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3QU, UK; Kavli Institute for Nanoscience Discovery, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3QU, UK.
Robert StokesAgilent Technologies LDA UK, Becquerel Avenue, Didcot OX11 0RA, UK.
Tehmina BharuchaDepartment of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3QU, UK; Kavli Institute for Nanoscience Discovery, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3QU, UK.
Michael DeatsMedicine Quality Research Group, NDM Centre for Global Health Research, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7LG, UK; Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10400, Thailand; Infectious Diseases Data Observatory, Centre of Tropical Medicine & Global Health, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7LG, UK.
Hamid A MerchantDepartment of Bioscience, School of Health, Sport and Bioscience, University of East London, Water Lane, London E15 4LZ, UK.
James McCullaghDepartment of Chemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3TA, UK.
Nicole ZitzmannDepartment of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3QU, UK; Kavli Institute for Nanoscience Discovery, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3QU, UK.
Céline CailletMedicine Quality Research Group, NDM Centre for Global Health Research, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7LG, UK; Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10400, Thailand; Infectious Diseases Data Observatory, Centre of Tropical Medicine & Global Health, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7LG, UK.
Paul N NewtonMedicine Quality Research Group, NDM Centre for Global Health Research, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7LG, UK; Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10400, Thailand; Infectious Diseases Data Observatory, Centre of Tropical Medicine & Global Health, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7LG, UK. Electronic address: Paul.Newton@ndm.ox.ac.uk.
Pavel MatousekCentral Laser Facility, Research Complex at Harwell, STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, UKRI, Harwell Campus, OX11 0QX, UK; Medicine Quality Research Group, NDM Centre for Global Health Research, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7LG, UK; Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10400, Thailand; Infectious Diseases Data Observatory, Centre of Tropical Medicine & Global Health, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7LG, UK. Electronic address: pavel.matousek@stfc.ac.uk.

Funding

Wellcome Trust 222506
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

We investigate the potential of Spatially Offset Raman Spectroscopy (SORS) as a rapid, non-invasive screening tool deployable in the field to detect diethylene glycol (DEG) and ethylene glycol (EG) in medicinal syrups within closed containers. Measurements were performed on neat propylene glycol (PG) and glycerol, key components of many medicinal syrups, as well as marketed medicinal syrup formulations spiked with DEG and EG at various concentration levels to assess the technique's limit of detection in real-life samples. SORS was able to detect these down to ∼0.5 % concentration level in neat PG for both DEG and EG compounds and ∼1 % concentration level for DEG and EG in neat glycerol. The DEG and EG detection thresholds for the marketed formulations measured through original bottles was ∼1 %, for Benylin (active ingredient: Glycerol) and Piriteze (active ingredient: Cetirizine Hydrochloride). For Calpol (active ingredient: Paracetamol) the detection limit was higher, ∼2 % for EG and ∼5 % for DEG. Although not reaching the International Pharmacopeial 0.1 % detection threshold currently required for purity checks for human consumption, the method can still be used to detect products where DEG or EG has been wrongly used instead of PG or glycerol or if present in large quantities. The technique could also be used for raw material identification testing to ensure no mislabelling has occurred in pre-production stages and as a screening device in distribution chains to detect major deviations from permitted content in non-diffusely scattering, clear formulations, to help prevent serious adverse outcomes, such as acute renal failure and deaths.

Indexed as

Ethylene GlycolEthylene GlycolsSpectrum Analysis, RamanDrug ContaminationGlycerolHumansLimit of DetectionPharmaceutical PreparationsPropylene Glycoldiethylene glycolEthylene GlycolEthylene GlycolsGlycerolPharmaceutical PreparationsPropylene GlycolDiethylene glycolEthylene glycolFalsified medicinesGlycerolMedicinal syrupsPropylene glycolSpatially Offset Raman SpectroscopySubstandardSupply chain

Identifiers

PMID40540818
PMCPMC7618519

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.