Optical and Bioanalytical Approaches for Biomarker Assessment in Polyendocrine Metabolic Ovarian Syndrome: Analytical Performance, Clinical Applications, and Future Perspectives

Polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome (PMOS), the recently proposed name for polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), is a heterogeneous endocrine-metabolic disorder characterized by reproductive abnormalities, insulin resistance, hyperandrogenism, dyslipidemia, chronic inflammation, and oxidative stress. This complexity limits the ability of individual biomarkers to fully reflect the syndrome’s pathophysiology, necessitating complementary analytical strategies for its characterization and monitoring. Consequently, spectrophotometric and colorimetric techniques offer rapid, accessible, and versatile tools for assessing various PMOS-associated biomarkers, while emerging spectroscopic approaches can provide complementary molecular information. This structured narrative review examines the primary applications of spectrophotometric and colorimetric methods for determining metabolic, endocrine, inflammatory, and oxidative biomarkers associated with the syndrome. Direct spectrophotometric assays were distinguished from immunoassays with absorbance detection, chromatographic methods coupled with UV detection, mass spectrometry-based platforms, and calculated clinical indices. It also addresses limitations regarding analytical specificity, biological variability, methodological heterogeneity, and the lack of standardized procedures. Furthermore, the integration of biomarkers—obtained through spectrophotometric, colorimetric, immunoassay-based, and emerging spectroscopic approaches—with multivariate analysis and artificial intelligence is proposed as a strategy for multidimensional patient profiling. Although these strategies could enhance patient stratification, metabolic monitoring, and precision medicine, their clinical implementation requires appropriate regulations, validation, and studies demonstrating reproducibility and clinical utility.