Application of Rapid Detection Technology for the Determination of γ-Hydroxybutyric Acid

Li, Nan; Liu, Xingliang; Shi, Boyuan; Song, Chunhui; Zhang, Teng; Yan, Xin; Li, Yingying; Li, Xinyi; Ma, Jun

doi:10.3390/bios16050288

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Open AccessReview

Application of Rapid Detection Technology for the Determination of γ-Hydroxybutyric Acid

by

Nan Li

^1,2,†,

Xingliang Liu

^1,2,†,

Boyuan Shi

^1,2,

Chunhui Song

^1,2,

Teng Zhang

^1,2,

Xin Yan

^1,2,

Yingying Li

^1,2,

Xinyi Li

^1,2 and

Jun Ma

^1,2,*

¹

Beijing Key Laboratory of Psychoactive Substances Detection and Control, Beijing Narcotics Control Technology Center, Beijing 100164, China

²

National Narcotics Laboratory Beijing Regional Center, Beijing 100164, China

^*

Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.

^†

These authors contributed equally to this work.

Biosensors 2026, 16(5), 288; https://doi.org/10.3390/bios16050288

Submission received: 14 April 2026 / Revised: 13 May 2026 / Accepted: 14 May 2026 / Published: 15 May 2026

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Microfluidics for Sample Pretreatment)

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Abstract

The abuse of γ-hydroxybutyric acid (GHB) and its precursors, γ-butyrolactone (GBL) and 1,4-butanediol (1,4-BD), has increased in recent years, with these substances frequently being illicitly added to beverages. GHB is colorless and odorless and exhibits anesthetic and hypnotic psychoactive effects, which are often exploited in drug-facilitated sexual assault, posing a significant public safety concern. Chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry is a conventional analytical approach for narcotic drug determination due to its high sensitivity and accuracy; however, its large instrumentation footprint and high operational cost limit its suitability for on-site rapid screening. In response to the growing demand for field-deployable analytical tools, rapid detection technologies for GHB have progressively evolved. This review summarizes and compares the advantages and limitations of current rapid detection methods for GHB and discusses their potential future developmental trends, with the aim of providing a reference for researchers and relevant authorities.

Keywords: γ-Hydroxybutyric Acid; rapid detection; colorimetric method; review

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MDPI and ACS Style

Li, N.; Liu, X.; Shi, B.; Song, C.; Zhang, T.; Yan, X.; Li, Y.; Li, X.; Ma, J. Application of Rapid Detection Technology for the Determination of γ-Hydroxybutyric Acid. Biosensors 2026, 16, 288. https://doi.org/10.3390/bios16050288

AMA Style

Li N, Liu X, Shi B, Song C, Zhang T, Yan X, Li Y, Li X, Ma J. Application of Rapid Detection Technology for the Determination of γ-Hydroxybutyric Acid. Biosensors. 2026; 16(5):288. https://doi.org/10.3390/bios16050288

Chicago/Turabian Style

Li, Nan, Xingliang Liu, Boyuan Shi, Chunhui Song, Teng Zhang, Xin Yan, Yingying Li, Xinyi Li, and Jun Ma. 2026. "Application of Rapid Detection Technology for the Determination of γ-Hydroxybutyric Acid" Biosensors 16, no. 5: 288. https://doi.org/10.3390/bios16050288

APA Style

Li, N., Liu, X., Shi, B., Song, C., Zhang, T., Yan, X., Li, Y., Li, X., & Ma, J. (2026). Application of Rapid Detection Technology for the Determination of γ-Hydroxybutyric Acid. Biosensors, 16(5), 288. https://doi.org/10.3390/bios16050288

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