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@article{197580,
        author = {ADHARSHA S and OVIYA S and MUHAMMED SINAN H and APARNA A P},
        title = {COMPARATIVE THIN LAYER CHROMATOGRAPHIC DETECTION OF NICOTINE FROM CERUMEN OF SMOKERS AND NON-SMOKERS},
        journal = {International Journal of Innovative Research in Technology},
        year = {2026},
        volume = {12},
        number = {11},
        pages = {7535-7538},
        issn = {2349-6002},
        url = {https://ijirt.org/article?manuscript=197580},
        abstract = {Nicotine, a major psychoactive alkaloid found in tobacco, is widely used as a biomarker to assess tobacco exposure in both clinical and forensic settings. Conventional biological matrices such as blood, urine, saliva, and hair have limitations including invasiveness, short detection windows, and complex analytical requirements. This study explores cerumen (earwax) as an alternative biological matrix for nicotine detection due to its non-invasive collection, lipid-rich composition, and ability to retain substances over extended periods. Thin Layer Chromatography (TLC), a simple and cost-effective analytical technique, was employed to comparatively detect nicotine in cerumen samples obtained from smokers and non-smokers. Samples were processed through solvent extraction and analyzed using silica gel TLC plates with appropriate mobile phases. Visualization was carried out using ultraviolet light and chemical reagents. The results revealed clear nicotine spots in smokers’ samples with Rf values closely matching standard nicotine, whereas non-smokers exhibited negligible or faint traces. This comparative analysis demonstrates the effectiveness of TLC as a qualitative screening tool and highlights cerumen as a promising matrix for long-term nicotine exposure assessment, contributing to advancements in forensic toxicology and public health monitoring.},
        keywords = {Nicotine Detection; Thin Layer Chromatography; Cerumen Analysis; Forensic Toxicology.},
        month = {April},
        }