A simple digestion method with a Lefort aqua regia solution for diatom extraction

Area of Science:

• Forensic Science
• Microscopy
• Toxicology

Background:

• Diatoms in tissues are crucial indicators of drowning.
• Current diatom extraction methods have limitations in efficiency and sample integrity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate a novel digestion method using Lefort aqua regia for diatom extraction.
• To assess the digestive capability, diatom destruction, and recovery rates of the new method compared to conventional techniques.

Main Methods:

• Rabbit kidney tissues were spiked with diatoms and treated with either Lefort aqua regia (3:1 nitric acid to hydrochloric acid) or conventional acid digestion.
• Digestive capability, diatom structural integrity, and diatom recovery were quantitatively analyzed.

Main Results:

• The Lefort aqua regia method demonstrated superior digestive capability (p < 0.01) compared to conventional acid digestion.
• Diatom structures remained largely intact after Lefort aqua regia digestion.
• Diatom recovery rates using the Lefort aqua regia method were comparable to conventional methods (p > 0.05).

Conclusions:

• Lefort aqua regia digestion is an effective improvement for diatom extraction from tissue samples.
• This method offers enhanced digestive power while maintaining diatom integrity, crucial for forensic drowning investigations.