Fresh vs. frozen human decomposition – A preliminary investigation of lipid degradation products as biomarkers of post-mortem interval
Autor: | Shari L. Forbes, Luca Maestrini, Maiken Ueland, Susan Luong, Sharni Collins |
---|---|
Rok vydání: | 2021 |
Předmět: |
chemistry.chemical_classification
Chromatography Linoleic acid 010401 analytical chemistry Fatty acid 01 natural sciences Sterol 0104 chemical sciences Pathology and Forensic Medicine Analytical Chemistry Palmitic acid 03 medical and health sciences chemistry.chemical_compound Oleic acid 0302 clinical medicine chemistry Materials Chemistry 030216 legal & forensic medicine Stearic acid Gas chromatography Physical and Theoretical Chemistry Law Spectroscopy Post-mortem interval |
Zdroj: | Forensic Chemistry. 24:100335 |
ISSN: | 2468-1709 |
Popis: | Traditionally, the post-mortem interval (PMI) is determined using methods such as forensic entomology or forensic pathology, however, these techniques are often limited to a particular post-mortem window of up to 72 – 120 h after death. In this study, lipids extracted from decomposing human tissue were investigated as potential soft-tissue biomarkers of PMI. Tissue samples were collected from two whole human donors (n = 2), one frozen and one fresh, placed at the Australian Facility for Taphonomic Experimental Research (AFTER) over the course of 69 days post-placement. These samples were analysed using gas chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (GC–MS/MS), demonstrating statistically significant differences for most fatty acid analytes and further highlighting the well-known stability of sterol compounds over time. Differences were observed between the fresh and frozen donor, with the fresh donor displaying more distinct stages of decomposition. Chemical differences between the donors were more distinct in the fatty acids than the sterols. The fatty acid profiles over time were further investigated and target analytes comprising saturated fatty acids (stearic acid and palmitic acid) and unsaturated fatty acids (oleic acid and linoleic acid) were found to be of particular importance due to their potential as indicators of PMI. |
Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
Externí odkaz: |