Phytochemical-Driven Colorimetric Sensing Platform for Early Detection of Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.65795/gtxgxs12Keywords:
Oral squammous cell carcinoma, salivary diagnostics, curcumin, anthocyanin, phytochemical , point of careAbstract
Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) remains a major global health challenge, particularly in low-resource settings where conventional diagnostic methods are costly and inaccessible. Saliva offers a non-invasive medium for early detection; however, existing salivary diagnostics lack affordability. Natural phytochemicals such as curcumin and anthocyanins show pH-responsive colorimetric properties, making them suitable for low-cost biosensing applications. This study presents a dual-coated phytochemical strip integrating curcumin and anthocyanins on pH paper for rapid salivary screening of OSCC. Curcumin was extracted from turmeric using ethanol maceration, while anthocyanins were obtained from red cabbage through acidified aqueous extraction. A dual-layer strip was fabricated by sequentially coating commercial pH paper with curcumin on one side and anthocyanins on the opposite side. Saliva samples were collected from twenty participants, including ten healthy individuals and ten OSCC patients. Colorimetric responses were recorded within thirty seconds and quantified using RGB-based ΔE analysis. Structural and physicochemical characterization was performed using UV–Vis, FTIR, DSC–TGA, and SEM–EDX. Statistical differences were evaluated.
The dual-coated strip demonstrated rapid and distinct color changes, appearing yellow–violet in healthy saliva and orange–bluish green in OSCC saliva. UV–Vis spectra showed bathochromic shifts, confirming pH sensitivity. FTIR confirmed functional group integrity, while DSC–TGA revealed altered thermal behavior after exposure to cancer saliva. SEM–EDX showed increased surface roughness and elevated sodium and potassium levels in OSCC samples. All parameters differed significantly between groups (p<0.001). The dual phytochemical strip enables low-cost, eco-friendly, biocompatible salivary OSCC screening.
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Accepted 11-07-2026
Published 30-07-2026
