Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41922726›Full record

ArticleCommunications chemistry2026

Methanol-driven esterification of volatile short-chain fatty acids in thermal desorption-based analysis.

Philip Kwan Hung Leung, Alson Hubert Kwongyiu Wong, Yiling Ma, Jungmin Jen Yoo, María Bajo-Fernández, Valerio Converso, Aaron Parker, Patrik Spanel, George Bushra Hanna, Ilaria Belluomo

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In one paragraph

Article in Communications chemistry, 2026. 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

10 authors.

Philip Kwan Hung LeungDivision of Surgery, Department of Surgery and Cancer, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2998-9807
Alson Hubert Kwongyiu WongDivision of Surgery, Department of Surgery and Cancer, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK.
Yiling MaDivision of Surgery, Department of Surgery and Cancer, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK.
Jungmin Jen YooDivision of Surgery, Department of Surgery and Cancer, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK.
María Bajo-FernándezDivision of Surgery, Department of Surgery and Cancer, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK.
Valerio ConversoDivision of Surgery, Department of Surgery and Cancer, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3461-8891
Aaron ParkerDivision of Surgery, Department of Surgery and Cancer, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK.
Patrik SpanelDivision of Surgery, Department of Surgery and Cancer, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK.
George Bushra HannaDivision of Surgery, Department of Surgery and Cancer, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK.
Ilaria BelluomoDivision of Surgery, Department of Surgery and Cancer, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK. i.belluomo@imperial.ac.uk.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8637-0285

Funding

Cancer Research UK (CRUK) EDDPGM-May21\100007DH | National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) NIHR207551Epilepsy Research UK (ERUK) F2402 Emerging Leader FellowshipRoyal Society of Chemistry (RSC) R21-0038618851
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Breath volatile organic compound analysis can non-invasively detect diseases, with short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) identified as key biomarkers. However, SCFA quantification is technically challenging due to chemical instability during thermal desorption (TD) tube analysis. Esterification with methanol may cause methyl ester formation, which impairs diagnostic sensitivity and reproducibility. We hypothesised that methanol-driven esterification of SCFAs is temperature- and time-dependent and can occur under common solvent handling and storage conditions used in TD-based analysis, even without the addition of acid or base catalyst. Here we show that methanol-driven SCFA esterification occurs in the liquid phase but not in the gas phase. Esterification rates increase with higher methanol-to-SCFA ratios and elevated temperatures. Furthermore, prolonged storage at higher temperatures accelerated SCFA esterification, reducing recovery by up to 70% after two months at room temperature and refrigerated conditions. Addressing these artefacts is crucial for ensuring the diagnostic accuracy of SCFA-based breath tests.

Identifiers

PMID41922726
PMCPMC13213016

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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.