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3725387 
Journal Article 
Elemental and Molecular Analysis of Gallstones Using Wave-Dispersive X-Ray Fluorescence and Fourier Transform Infra-Red Spectroscopy 
Jaswal, B; Sharma, J; Kumar, V; Khajuria, Y; Singh, VK; Rai, PK 
2015 
1 
Advanced Science Letters
ISSN: 1936-6612
EISSN: 1936-7317 
21 
8 
2613-2617 
WOS:000367496700023 
Gallstone disease is amongst the common but very crucial health problems which affect millions of people across the world. Over the past several decades several spectroscopic techniques have been used for analyzing the chemical composition of gallstones at elemental and molecular level. However, the ultimate cause for its formation has remained a subject for speculation. The present study was aimed at analyzing gallstones by means of wave-dispersive X-ray fluorescence (WD-XRF) and Fourier transform infra-red (FTIR) spectroscopy to know its elemental and molecular compositions. Using FTIR spectroscopy, we detected the contribution from cholesterol, bilirubin, and calcium carbonates in the formation of gallstones. Our experimental results revealed that either cholesterol alone or in combination with bilirubin and calcium carbonate is the most predominant component of human gallstones which is the ultimate cause for stone formation. With WD-XRF technique different types of elements particularly calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), manganese (Mn), zinc (Zn), sodium (Na), copper (Cu), iron (Fe), phosphorous (P), sulfur (S), silicon (Si), chlorine (Cl), aluminium (Al), palladium (Pd), and ruthenium (Ru) were detected and quantified in gallstones. To the best of our knowledge, Pd and Ru were not detected in gallstones samples using WD-XRF. Some portions of inner parts of the gallstones were of different colors and were very often brownish and black. The FTIR analyses show the presence of bilirubin whereas WD-XRF analyses show the presence of Ca, Cu and other elements in gallstone samples. This clearly shows that Ca and Cu form bilirubinate salts that are largely responsible for the brownish and black colors of the central part of gallstones. 
X-ray Fluorescence; FTIR; Gallstone; Elemental Analysis