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No. of bitstreams: 1 priscilaaparecidadealmeida.pdf: 3479962 bytes, checksum: 8c79eb5e12173424e10bfb4c655bfd10 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2015-12-04 / CNPq - Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico / FAPEMIG - Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de Minas Gerais / O extrato seco obtido da casca de Pinus pinaster, popularmente conhecido como Pinho Marítimo Francês, possui elevada concentração de polifenóis, representados por procianidinas, taxifolina, ácidos fenólicos e cinâmicos e as formas glicosiladas dessas moléculas. É obtido por extração aquosa da casca do pinheiro, seguido por eliminação da água. O seu controle de qualidade é especificado na United States Pharmacopeia, sendo o teste de doseamento realizado mediante a determinação do conteúdo total de procianidinas, a classe de polifenóis majoritária (entre 65 e 75 %). Porém, a determinação do conteúdo de polifenóis individuais pode representar um parâmetro de qualidade adicional para o extrato. Nesse sentido, a taxifolina (flavonoide conhecido como dihidroquercetina) aparece como um possível marcador químico para doseamento, uma vez que é encontrada no gênero Pinus, de forma geral, e por representar o polifenol monomérico presente em maior concentração no extrato. Essa molécula possui propriedades antioxidante e anti-inflamatória, podendo ser empregada no tratamento de patologias que possuam o estresse oxidativo e a inflamação envolvidos na patogênese. A endometriose é o foco principal deste estudo, cujo tratamento farmacológico, realizado com anticoncepcionais principalmente, apresenta uma série de inconvenientes, como o grau elevado de efeitos adversos; a recorrência dos sintomas poucos meses após a interrupção do tratamento, na maioria dos casos; e a contracepção, impedindo que a paciente possa engravidar, o que incentiva a busca por novos fármacos para o tratamento dessa patologia. Contudo, apesar da potencialidade farmacológica da taxifolina, esta apresenta baixa biodisponibilidade por via oral, devido à baixa solubilidade em água, o que limita a sua aplicação terapêutica e estimula a busca por rotas alternativas de administração para esse flavonoide. Partindo desses pressupostos, os seguintes objetivos são propostos: (i) desenvolver e validar métodos analíticos empregando cromatografia líquida de alta eficiência para a quantificação da taxifolina no extrato e em creme vaginal e (ii) avaliar a liberação in vitro dessa substância a partir do creme e sua permeação ex vivo, empregando o modelo de mucosa vaginal suína. Os métodos analíticos desenvolvidos e otimizados para a quantificação da taxifolina no extrato e no creme vaginal empregaram cromatografia em fase reversa com fase estacionária octadecilsilano e fase móvel constituída por água, acetonitrila e ácido fórmico, em diferentes proporções para os métodos. Foi empregada eluição por gradiente de fase móvel e de fluxo no método do extrato e eluição isocrática no método do creme. A detecção foi realizada em 288 nm em detector de arranjo de fotodiodos. Os perfis cromatográficos obtidos apresentaram linhas de base regulares, adequada resolução da taxifolina e boa simetria do pico. Todos os parâmetros de validação analítica encontraram-se dentro das especificações. O valor de fluxo obtido para a taxifolina a partir do creme no estudo de liberação in vitro (74,89 µg cm−2 h−1) indica que este é um possível veículo para a administração vaginal desse flavonoide. Adicionalmente, a porcentagem de permeação obtida para a taxifolina por dose (89,22 %) sugere um potencial desta para exercer suas ações a nível sistêmico in vivo, quando administrada via mucosa vaginal, podendo ser uma alternativa para o tratamento da endometriose, destacando-se que ela não possui efeito contraceptivo. / The dry extract obtained from the bark of the Pinus pinaster, popularly known as French Maritime Pine, has a high concentration of polyphenols represented by procyanidins, taxifolin, phenolic and cinnamic acids and glycosylated forms of these molecules. It is obtained by aqueous extraction of the pine bark, followed by water removal. Its quality control is specified in the United States Pharmacopeia, and the assay test is performed by determining of the total procyanidins content (between 65 and 75 %). However, determining of the individual polyphenol content may represent an additional quality parameter for this extract. In this sense, the taxifolin (flavonoid known as dihydroquercetin) appears as a possible chemical marker for assay, since it is found in the genus Pinus, in general, and because it represents the monomeric polyphenol in the highest concentration. This molecule possesses antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties and may be used in the treatment of diseases which have oxidative stress and inflammation involved in the pathogenesis. Endometriosis is the main focus of this current study, whose pharmacological treatment is performed with contraceptives mainly, and presents a widely range of disadvantages, such as the high degree of adverse effects; recurrence of symptoms a few months after discontinuation of treatment, in most cases; and contraception, which prevents that the patient to become pregnant. These factors encourage the search for new drugs to treat endometriosis. However, despite of the pharmacological potential of taxifolin, it shows low oral bioavailability due to poor water solubility, which limits its therapeutic application and encourages the search for alternative routes of administration for this flavonoid. Within this context, the present study has like aims: (i) to develop and validate analytical methods by high performance liquid chromatography for quantification of taxifolin in the extract and vaginal cream and (ii) to evaluate the in vitro release profile of taxifolin from the cream and its ex vivo permeation across porcine vaginal mucosa. The analytical methods developed and optimized for the quantification of taxifolin in the extract and vaginal cream employed reversed phase chromatography with octadecylsilane stationary phase and mobile phase composed by water, acetonitrile and formic acid in different proportions to the methods. It was used gradient elution (mobile phase composition and flow rate) in the extract method, and isocratic elution in the cream method. The detection was performed at 288 nm in photodiode array detector. The chromatographic profiles showed regular baselines, appropriate resolution of taxifolin, and good symmetry of the peak. All analytical validation parameters were within specifications. The in vitro drug release study showed that the cream is a possible vehicle for vaginal administration of taxifolin due to high release rate (74.89 µg cm−2 h−1). Additionally, the permeated percentage of taxifolin by dose (89.22 %) suggests a potential of this flavonoid to exercise its systemic effects in vivo when administered via vaginal route, and may be an alternative for the treatment of endometriosis, emphasizing that it has no contraceptive effect.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-07-18T17:53:16Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 ronaldo sena e silva.pdf: 758805 bytes, checksum: 50ddd870dfedb208e155053c6ec67166 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2015-09-24 / The aim of this study was to verify the use of growth hormone (GH), with or without resisted exercise, the estrous cycle, the dosage of the estradiol and progesterone and Wistar rats endometrium thickness. The rats were divided into four groups (n = 10): CT (Control); Ex (resisted exercise - water jumps with 50% of body weight); GH (0,2UI / kg administered GH); and ExGH (GH and Ex groups combined treatment). The estrous cycle phase of rats were determined by vaginal cytology, daily for 29 days. The rats plasma was used for hormone dosage and the endometrium thicknesses were evaluated by histology. We used the Shapiro-Wilk normality presupposition. For samples that was parametric, ANOVA was used with Tukey, for no parametric samples, Kruskal-Wallis with Student-Newman-Keuls test was used (p<0.05). There are a greater reproductive cycles number in CT than in other groups during the 29 days period (p>0.05), no difference were found between the hormones dosage groups neither endometrial thickness. Therefore, it is concluded that GH and resisted exercises both combined affect females reproductive cycle, they reduced the number of cycles of rats but they do not change the estradiol and progesterone concentrations, neither endometrial thickness. / O objetivo deste estudo foi verificar o uso do hormônio do crescimento (GH), associado ou não ao exercício resistido, no ciclo estral, na dosagem do estradiol e progesterona e na espessura do endométrio de ratas Wistar. As ratas foram divididas em 4 grupos (n=10): CT (controle); Ex (exercício resistido - saltos em água com 50% do peso corporal); GH (0,2UI/Kg de GH administrado); e ExGH (tratamento combinado dos grupos GH e Ex). A fase do ciclo estral foi determinada por citologias vaginais nas ratas, diariamente, durante 29 dias. Foi realizado dosagem hormonal nas ratas e as espessuras dos endométrios foram avaliadas por histologia. Utilizou-se o pressuposto de normalidade de Shapiro-Wilk. Para as amostras paramétricas, utilizou-se ANOVA e Tukey e para não paramétricas Kruskal-Wallis e Student-Newman-Keuls (p<0,05). Houve maior número de ciclos reprodutivos no CT que nos demais grupos no período de 29 dias (p<0,05), nenhuma diferença foi encontrada entre os grupos na dosagem hormonal ou na espessura de endométrio. Portanto, conclui-se que o GH, o exercício resistido e os dois combinados interferem na ciclicidade reprodutiva das fêmeas, reduzindo o número de ciclos das ratas, sem alterar a concentração de estradiol e progesterona ou a espessura do endométrio.

Bakgrund: Bäckenbotten utsätts för stor påfrestning under graviditet och förlossning. I samband med förlossning kan skador på bäckenbotten uppstå. Dessa skador kan leda till både kort- och långsiktiga besvär som i sin tur kan påverka kvinnors livskvalitet och dagliga liv. Syfte: Syftet med studien var att kartlägga vilka bäckenbottenbesvär kvinnor upplever 6-16 veckor efter vaginal förlossning samt att beskriva dess påverkan på livskvalitet och dagligt liv. Metod: Studien var en kvantitativ tvärsnittsstudie där datainsamling skedde via en webbenkät. Webbenkäten bestod av bakgrundsfrågor utformade av författarna samt två validerade enkäter, PFDI-20 och PFIQ-7. Insamlad data analyserades i statistikprogrammet SPSS. Totalt deltog 135 kvinnor i studien. Resultat: I kartläggningen framkom att en stor andel kvinnor drabbats av bäckenbottenbesvär efter förlossning. Trots det uppgav majoriteten av kvinnorna att de ej hade besvär från sin bäckenbotten som inverkade på deras livskvalitet eller dagliga liv. Bland de kvinnor som upplevde besvär var det främst förmågan att utföra dagliga hushållsarbeten, förmågan till fysisk aktivitet och påverkan på psykisk hälsa som påverkade livskvaliteten. Konklusion: Studiens resultat antyder på att en stor andel kvinnor drabbas av bäckenbottenbesvär efter vaginal förlossning. Det är viktigt att belysa denna problematik så att kvinnor kan få adekvat stöd och behandling vid besvär. Trots att majoriteten av respondenterna ej upplevde att bäckenbottenbesvären inverkade på deras livskvalitet eller dagliga liv är det viktigt att ej normalisera bäckenbottenbesvär eller att se dem som en naturlig följd av graviditet och förlossning. / Background: The pelvic floor is exposed to great stress during pregnancy and childbirth. In connection to childbirth, injuries to the pelvic floor can occur, so called birth injuries. These injuries can lead to both short- and long term problems for women. These problems can have an impact on womens quality of life and daily life. Aim: The purpose of the study was to chart which pelvic floor disorders women experience 6–16 weeks after vaginal delivery and describe its impact on quality of life and daily life. Method: The study was a quantitive cross-sectionalstudy where the data collection was done through a online questionnarie. The online questionnarie consisted of background questions designed by the authors and two validated questionnaries, PFDI-20 and PFIQ-7. Collected data was analyzed using the statistical program SPSS. A total of 135 women participated in the study. Result: In the survey of pelvic floor disorders, it was found that a large proportion of women suffered from pelvic floor disorders after childbirth. Despite this, the majority of women stated that they did not have problems from their pelvic floor that affected their quality of life or daily life. Among the women who experienced problems it was mainly the ability to perform household chores, the ability for physical activity and the impact on mental health that affected quality of life. Conclusion: The results of the study suggest that a large proportion of women suffer from pelvic floor disorders after vaginal delivery. It is important to shed light on this issue so that women can receive adequate support and treatment for their problems. Despite the fact that the majority of the respondents stated that their pelvic floor disorders did not affect quality of life or daily life, it is important to not normalize or see pelvic floor disorders as a natural consequence of pregnancy and childbirth.

En el Perú existe un mercado en crecimiento ante la necesidad de las mujeres de recuperar su calidad de vida la cual se ve disminuida al presentar problemas tanto funcionales como estéticos en la zona íntima. Para ello se propone la creación de una nueva unidad de negocios en un centro médico en funcionamiento mediante once procedimientos con láser y sin láser aplicado por profesionales calificados . En la investigación de mercado se determinó que el público objetivo son mujeres de edades comprendidas entre 18 y 65 años, residentes en los distritos de Callao, San Miguel, San Martín, Los Olivos, Pueblo Libre y Lima Cercado, de nivel socioeconómico AB, que tengan la necesidad de dar solución a los diferentes problemas de la salud ginecológica, ya sea por el paso del tiempo o injurias externas como por ejemplo el embarazo y parto. En base al estudio de mercado se ha establecido que el potencial de mercado es aproximadamente 8000 mujeres por lo que Medivital espera atender 216 procedimientos y 2160 consultas para el primer año a un precio promedio de 1,200 soles. La inversión inicial será financiada mediante un crédito del 80% de la inversión total ​Los ingresos el primer año para Medivital ascienden a 313,200 soles por lo que el plan de negocios es viable y rentable obteniendo un VAN de 643,203 soles y un TIR de 77% mientras que el VANE fue de 732,360 soles mientras que el TIRE fue de 87.5. / There is a growing market in Peru in view of the women's need to functionally and aesthetically recover the functioning of their private parts. For this purpose, Medivital must create another business unit in an operating medical center with eleven laser and non-laser procedures. The target audiences are women between the ages of 18 and 65, residing in the districts of Callao, San Miguel, San Martin, Los Olivos, Pueblo Libre and Lima Cercado, socioeconomic status AB, who wish to improve their physical appearance, either for deterioration in inclement weather or previous pregnancies. Based on the market study,there are a potencial market from 8000 women. Medivital wish to attend 216 procedures and 2160 consultations for the first year at an average price of 1,200 soles. The initial investment will be financed through a credit of 80% of the total investment . The first year revenues for Medivital amount to 313,200 soles, so the business plan is viable and profitable, obtaining a NPV of 643,203 soles and an IRR of 77%, while the VANE was 732,360 soles while the TIRE was 87.5. / Trabajo de investigación

Les incidences de l’écoulement vaginal purulent (EVP) et de l’endométrite cytologique (EC) sont élevées dans les exploitations laitières à cause des contaminations utérines associées à l’immunosuppression péripartum. Le pegbovigrastim (bG-CSF) a été approuvé dans la prévention de la mammite clinique chez les vaches en postpartum. L’objectif de cette étude était d’évaluer l’efficacité du bG-CSF dans la prévention de l’EVP et de l’EC chez les vaches laitières en postpartum. Dans un essai contrôlé randomisé, 60 vaches laitières en postpartum ont été enrôlées et réparties dans deux groupes (saline, n = 29 ; bG-CSF, n = 31) où chaque vache a reçu deux injections de traitement en sous-cutané aux 14e et 21e jours en lait (JEL) au creux de la croupe. L’EVP et l’EC ont été diagnostiqués chez les vaches ayant des scores de pus ≥ 3, d’estérase leucocytaire ≥ 1 ou de neutrophiles ≥ 6%. Toutes les réponses immunitaires utérines et les prévalences de l’endométrite étaient plus importantes numériquement dans le groupe bG-CSF, mais ne différaient pas statistiquement de celles du groupe saline. Les résultats étaient aussi non-différents statistiquement pour les performances subséquentes en reproduction et survie dans le troupeau. En conclusion, le traitement au bG-CSF ne semble pas efficace pour prévenir l’EVP et l’EC. Cependant, pour des raisons d’absence de différence significative constaté dans nos résultats, nous recommandons la poursuite de l’étude avec au moins une puissance statistique de 80% et un niveau de confiance de 95% afin de mieux conclure sur l’efficacité de bG-CSF contre l’endométrite. / The incidences of purulent vaginal discharge (PVD) and cytological endometritis (CE) are high in dairy farms because of uterine contamination associated with peripartum immunosuppression. Pegbovigrastim (bG-CSF) has been approved for the prevention of clinical mastitis in postpartum dairy cows. The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of bG-CSF in the prevention of PVD and CE in postpartum dairy cows on the 35th day postpartum. In a randomized controlled trial, 60 postpartum dairy cows were enrolled and divided into two groups (saline, n = 29; bG-CSF, n = 31) where each cow had received two injections subcutaneously on the 14th and 21st days postpartum at the base of the tail. PVD and CE were diagnosed in cows at with scores of pus ≥ 3 and leukocyte esterase ≥ 1 or neutrophils ≥ 6%, respectively. bG-CSF group but did not differ statistically from those of the saline group (p>0.05). Differences were also not significant for subsequent performance of cows in reproduction parameters and survival in the herd. In conclusion, bG-CSF treatment did not seem effective in preventing PVD and CE in dairy cows. However, for reasons of absence of significant difference observed in our results, we recommend the continuation of the study with at least a statistical power of 80% and a level of confidence of 95% in order to better conclude on the effectiveness of bG-CSF against endometritis.

La microbiologie judiciaire consiste à utiliser des microorganismes comme éléments de preuves dans une enquête judiciaire. Elle est appliquée dans plusieurs buts, dont l’identification de fluides biologiques et la compréhension des mécanismes de décomposition des cadavres entre autres. L’objectif de ce mémoire est de tester l’application de nouvelles méthodes de prédictions utilisant la microbiologie judiciaire et d’évaluer leur potentiel pour le domaine. Dans un premier temps, au chapitre 2, nous avons étudié une nouvelle méthode pour identifier les fluides vaginaux par le microbiome. Alors que plusieurs méthodes existent pour identifier des sources pures de fluides vaginaux, nous avons testé un modèle sur des mélanges de fluides pour voir s’il était possible de reconnaître la présence de sources vaginales dans ceux-ci. Nos résultats montrent que le modèle utilisé avec le seuil choisi a une spécificité de 100% en ce qui a trait à l’identification de fluides vaginaux dans des mélanges et une sensibilité de 70%. Ainsi, nos résultats démontrent qu’il serait possible d’utiliser éventuellement cette méthode en sciences judiciaires. Dans un deuxième temps, au chapitre 3, nous avons exploré le changement du microbiome épinécrotique sur une période de sept mois comprenant un hiver complet. Nous avons pu identifier les taxons spécifiques qui ont une différence d’abondance significative entre les saisons et ainsi développer un modèle de prédiction qui peut déterminer si un corps a passé l’hiver ou non. Notre modèle n’a jamais prédit qu’un corps n’avait pas passé l’hiver quand en réalité c’était le cas, mais a parfois surestimé les résultats. / Microbial forensics uses microorganisms as physical evidence in different investigations. It is used in multiple ways, such as the identification of body fluids or the understanding of the different mechanisms of body decomposition. The objectives of this research are to apply novel prediction methods using microbial forensics and assess their potential for forensic science. First, in chapter 2, we studied a novel method to identify vaginal fluids using the microbiome. Similar methods already exist to identify pure sources of body fluids, but we tested a model that could find vaginal fluids in mixture samples. Our results show that the model used with the chosen threshold has a specificity of 100% and a sensitivity of 70% for the identification of vaginal fluids in mixtures. Therefore, our results show that it would be possible to use this method in the future in forensic science. Second, in chapter 3, we explored the change of the epinecrotic microbiome over a 7-months period including a full winter. We could identify specific taxa that were differentially abundant before and after winter and developed a prediction model that would calculate if a body went through winter or not. The model never predicted that a body did not go through winter when it did, but it sometimes overestimated the results predicting it went through winter when it did not.

Mayer-Rokitansky-Kuster-Hauser Syndrome is a congenital disorder of the female reproductive tract due to impaired Müllerian duct development. There are three known categorical presentations: isolated, atypical, and MURCS association. Several developmentally significant factors including inappropriate AMH/AMHR interaction, and mutations in the WNT gene family and HOXA7-13 cluster have been studied. There has also been investigation into an autosomal dominant pattern of inheritance in families with multiple cases of the syndrome. Due to the presence of multiple subsets of patients with similar genetic abnormalities, it seems unlikely that a single etiology will be discovered.

In the human uterus prostaglandins (PG) PGE2, PGD2, PGI2, PGF2α and Thromboxane A2 (TXA2), also termed prostanoids, are synthesised and deactivated to 15-keto PGE2, J2 metabolites, 6-keto-PGF1α, 15-keto PGF2α and TXB2 respectively. However, not all metabolites have been analysed simultaneously within the same tissue. The primary objective of this thesis was to determine full uterine prostanoid profiles in human non-pregnancy, pregnancy and parturition, to better understand these processes and find suitable tocolytic targets. In addition, ten cytokines in human cervico-vaginal fluid (CVF) were measured according to interval to labour to test their suitability as labour onset predictors, with a view to developing a test to determine women at risk of preterm labour. Prostanoid analysis was carried out in endometrium (n=9) and myometrium (n=15- 16) donated by non-pregnant women and lower segment myometrium obtained from pregnant women (before (n=14) and after labour onset (n=7)) by liquid chromatography coupled with electrospray ionisation mass spectrometry (LC/ESIMS/ MS). Cytokines produced by CVF collected from pregnant donors (20-41 weeks gestation, n=2-10) were investigated using Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) or Luminex®. Human endometrium produced greater concentrations of TXB2, PGE2 and PGF2α than myometrium in vitro (p<0.05). Fifteen prostanoids were detected in human myometrium. Production of 6-keto-PGF1α, PGE1 and PGF1α increased whilst 15- keto PGE2 and PGJ2 decreased at term pregnancy (37-41 weeks gestation) versus non-pregnancy (p<0.05). Myometrium from parturient donors synthesised TXB2 and PGE2 more abundantly than the non-labouring equivalent. Cytokine concentration was greatest in CVF sampled the week before labour, in particular Interleukin-6 (IL-6), Macrophage Inflammatory Protein-1α (MIP-1α) and Monocyte Chemotactic Protein-1 (MCP-1) (p<0.05). Endometrial TXB2, PGE2 and PGF2α could aid in proliferation of glandular epithelium prior to ovulation. Prostacyclin may facilitate prolongation of pregnancy to term and thromboxane could contribute to uterine stimulation during labour. Cervical dilation may be influenced by PGE2 in lower segment myometrium. MCP- 1, MIP-1α and IL-6 could mark a short interval to labour onset.

No description available.

Vaginal fluid is most often found at crime scenes where a sexual assault has taken place or on clothing or other items collected from sexual assault victims or perpetrators. Because the victim is generally known in these cases, detection of vaginal fluid is not a matter of individual identification, as it might be for semen identification. Instead, linkages can be made between victim and suspect if the sexual assault was carried out digitally or with a foreign object (e.g., bottle, pool cue, cigarette, handle of a hammer or other tool, etc.). If such an object is only analyzed for DNA and the victim is identified, the suspect may claim that the victim’s DNA is present because she handled and/or is the owner of the object and not because it was used to sexually assault her; identification of vaginal fluid residue would alleviate such uncertainty. Most of the research conducted thus far regarding methods for the identification of vaginal fluid involves mRNA biomarkers and identification of various bacterial strains.1-3 However, these approaches require extensive sample preparation and laboratory analysis and have not fully explored the genomic differences among all body fluid RNAs. No existing methods of vaginal fluid identification incorporate both high specificity and rapid analysis.4 Therefore, a new rapid detection method is required. Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) is an emerging technique with high sensitivity for the forensic analysis of various body fluids. This technique has the potential to improve current vaginal fluid identification techniques due to its ease-of-use, rapid analysis time, portability, and non-destructive nature. For this experiment, all vaginal fluid samples were collected from anonymous donors by saturation of a cotton swab via vaginal insertion. Samples were analyzed on gold nanoparticle chips.4 This nanostructured metal substrate is essential for the large signal-enhancement effect of SERS and also quenches any background fluorescence that sometimes interferes with normal Raman spectroscopy measurements.5 Vaginal fluid SERS signal variation of a single sample over a six-month period was evaluated under both ambient and frozen storage conditions. Vaginal fluid samples were also taken from 10 individuals over the course of a single menstrual cycle. Four samples collected at one-week intervals were obtained from each individual and analyzed using SERS. The SERS vaginal fluid signals showed very little variation as a function of time and storage conditions, indicating that the spectral pattern of vaginal fluid is not likely to change over time. The samples analyzed over the span of one menstrual cycle showed slight intra-donor differences, however, the overall spectral patterns remained consistent and reproducible. When cycle spectra were compared between individuals, very little donor-to-donor variation was observed indicating the potential for a universal vaginal fluid signature spectrum. A cross-validated, partial least squares – discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) model was built to classify all body fluids, where vaginal fluid was identified with 95.0% sensitivity and 96.6% specificity, which indicates that the spectral pattern of vaginal fluid was successfully distinguished from semen and blood. Thus, SERS has a high potential for application in the field of forensic science for vaginal fluid analysis.