Monitoring Biomolecular Changes During Colitis Progression Using Infrared Spectroscopy in Dextran Sodium Sulfate‐Treated Mouse Serum

Analysis of sequential alterations in body fluid constituents, such as serum, is vital for assessing inflammation. Attenuated Total Reflectance-Fourier Transform Infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy was used to monitor biomolecular changes in a Dextran Sodium Sulfate (DSS) mouse colitis model. Serum samples collected on days 0, 3, and 7 post- (3% DSS) administration showed stepwise changes in lipid, protein, and carbohydrate regions. Statistically significant (SS) changes (p < 0.05) were detected at the initial stage of colitis (day 0 to 3) in six spectral biomarkers (SBMs), including the integral ratio of α-helix to β-sheet (Amide I) and the β-sheet (Amide I) to Tyrosine (Amide II). Changes intensified from day 3 to 7, with the most prominent differences from day 0 to 7, even when the initial changes (day 0 to 3) were not SS. These results highlight the potential of ATR-FTIR as a minimally invasive pre-screening tool for monitoring colitis progression.