Cerumen, commonly known as earwax, is a complex mixture composed of secretions from ceruminous glands. These secretions are heterogeneous mixtures mainly composed of lipids and proteins. Despite its prevalence, the potential diagnostic value of cerumen remains largely unexplored. Here, we present an in-depth analysis of cerumen utilizing well-known vibrational approaches such as conventional Raman spectroscopy or surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) together with advanced vibrational spectroscopy techniques such as coherent Raman scattering (CRS), i.e. broadband coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS) or stimulated Raman scattering (SRS), as well as optical photothermal infrared (OPTIR) spectroscopy. Through the integration of these vibrational spectroscopic methods, lipids and proteins can be identified as the main components of cerumen; however, they contribute to the final spectral information to various extents depending on the vibrational detection scheme applied. The inherently weak Raman signal could be enhanced by linear (SERS) and non-linear (CRS) processes, resulting in efficient acquisition of fingerprint information and allowing for the detection of marker modes, which cannot be addressed by conventional Raman spectroscopy. OPTIR spectroscopy provides complementary information to Raman spectroscopy, however, without the contribution of a fluorescence background. Our findings underscore the utility of these cutting-edge techniques in unveiling the intricate molecular landscape of cerumen, paving the way for novel point-of-care diagnostic methodologies and therapeutic interventions.

中文翻译：

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推进耵聍分析：探索创新的振动光谱技术作为新的即时诊断工具的潜力


耵聍，俗称耳垢，是一种由耵聍腺分泌物组成的复杂混合物。这些分泌物是主要由脂质和蛋白质组成的异质混合物。尽管耵聍很普遍，但耵聍的潜在诊断价值在很大程度上仍未得到探索。在这里，我们利用众所周知的振动方法（如传统拉曼光谱或表面增强拉曼光谱 （SERS））以及先进的振动光谱技术（如相干拉曼散射 （CRS），即宽带相干反斯托克斯拉曼散射 （CARS） 或受激拉曼散射 （SRS），以及光学光热红外 （OPTIR） 光谱，对耵聍进行了深入分析。通过整合这些振动光谱方法，可以确定脂质和蛋白质是耵聍的主要成分;但是，它们在不同程度上对最终的频谱信息有贡献，具体取决于所应用的振动检测方案。固有的微弱拉曼信号可以通过线性 （SERS） 和非线性 （CRS） 过程来增强，从而有效地获取指纹信息并允许检测标记模式，这是传统拉曼光谱无法解决的。OPTIR 光谱为拉曼光谱提供了互补信息，但是，没有荧光背景的贡献。我们的研究结果强调了这些尖端技术在揭示耵聍错综复杂的分子景观方面的效用，为新的即时诊断方法和治疗干预铺平了道路。