Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41339403›Full record

ArticleScientific reports2025

Rapid screening of ethylene glycol and diethylene glycol in raw materials and medicinal syrups using low-cost field deployable assays.

Benediktus Yohan Arman, Isabelle Legge, John Walsby-Tickle, Tehmina Bharucha, Julia Gabel, Gesa Gnegel, Michael Deats, Sneha Banerjee, Robert Stokes, Hamid A Merchant and 6 more

Abstract read
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In one paragraph

Article in Scientific reports, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing 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

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
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

16 authors.

Benediktus Yohan ArmanDepartment of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3QU, UK.
Isabelle LeggeDepartment of Chemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3TA, UK.
John Walsby-TickleDepartment of Chemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3TA, UK.
Tehmina BharuchaDepartment of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3QU, UK.
Julia GabelMedicine Quality Research Group, NDM Centre for Global Health Research, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 7LG, UK.
Gesa GnegelMedicine Quality Research Group, NDM Centre for Global Health Research, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 7LG, UK.
Michael DeatsMedicine Quality Research Group, NDM Centre for Global Health Research, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 7LG, UK.
Sneha BanerjeeCentral Laser Facility, Research Complex at Harwell, STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, UKRI, Harwell Campus, Didcot, OX11 0QX, UK.
Robert StokesAgilent Technologies LDA UK, Becquerel Avenue, Didcot, OX11 0RA, UK.
Hamid A MerchantDepartment of Bioscience, School of Health, Sport and Bioscience, University of East London, Water Lane, London, E15 4LZ, UK.
Pavel MatousekMedicine Quality Research Group, NDM Centre for Global Health Research, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 7LG, UK.
James McCullaghDepartment of Chemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3TA, UK.
Céline CailletMedicine Quality Research Group, NDM Centre for Global Health Research, 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. paul.newton@ndm.ox.ac.uk.
Nicole ZitzmannDepartment of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3QU, UK.
Bevin GangadharanDepartment of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3QU, UK. bevin.gangadharan@bioch.ox.ac.uk.

Funding

Wellcome Trust 220211/Z/20/ZWellcome Trust 222506Wellcome Trust 222506/Z/21/Z
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

There have been hundreds of child deaths due to contamination of medicinal syrups with diethylene glycol (DEG) and ethylene glycol (EG). Detection of DEG and EG is usually performed by gas chromatography, a method that is costly, laborious, time-consuming, and not readily available in many low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Thin-layer chromatography is relatively lower cost and portable; however, as with gas chromatography, it requires time and trained personnel. Alternative rapid, low-cost and simple methods to determine DEG/EG contamination are needed. We tested the suitability of enzymatic, chemical and antibody-based assays to determine DEG/EG. Assays using alcohol dehydrogenase and aldehyde dehydrogenase alone as well as in combination with glycolate oxidase could determine EG in raw materials and at less than 0.1% m/m in some finished products. Saliva and breast milk alcohol test strips, containing alcohol oxidase and costing $1, could determine EG with a detection limit of 0.5 to 2% m/m in under 2 minutes. Disposable breathalysers, costing only $1, could determine both DEG and EG from other alcohols in only 10 seconds. The methods described provide simple, rapid and low-cost alternatives to help determine DEG and EG contamination in pharmaceutical supply chains to help prevent deaths where equipment and trained human resources are limited.

Indexed as

Drug ContaminationEthylene GlycolEthylene GlycolsAlcohol OxidoreductasesHumansAlcohol Oxidoreductasesdiethylene glycolEthylene GlycolEthylene GlycolsContaminationDiethylene glycolEthylene glycolFalsifiedMedical productsRapid testRenal failureSubstandardSyrup

Identifiers

PMID41339403
PMCPMC12675669

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Registered trials

None linked

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.