Skeletal tissue, a viable option in forensic toxicology? A view into post mortem cases

Area of Science:

• Forensic Toxicology
• Analytical Chemistry
• Biomolecular Analysis

Background:

• Blood analysis is standard in forensic toxicology but unsuitable for decomposed remains.
• Skeletal tissue offers resistance to decomposition, but lacks reference data for drug concentrations.
• Evaluating alternative matrices is crucial for accurate toxicological testing in challenging forensic cases.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the viability of skeletal tissue (bone and bone marrow) as alternative matrices for xenobiotic detection.
• To establish reference data for drug concentrations in bone and bone marrow compared to blood.
• To assess the potential of bone and bone marrow in legal cases involving drug consumption.

Main Methods:

• Screening of blood, bone tissue, and bone marrow for 415 forensic compounds.
• Quantification of methadone, clomipramine, and citalopram and their metabolites using validated methods.
• Sample preparation via SPE, methanol extraction, or protein precipitation, followed by LC-MS/MS analysis.

Main Results:

• Multiple drugs were identified in all matrices; bone (marrow) showed fewer detections than blood but is a valid alternative.
• Bone marrow demonstrated high concordance (80.5%) with blood for drug detection.
• Detectable and quantifiable levels of clomipramine, citalopram, and methadone were found in all specimens, with varying concentration trends between matrices.

Conclusions:

• Bone and bone marrow show significant potential as alternative matrices in forensic toxicology when blood is unavailable.
• Bone marrow exhibits high concordance with blood, making it a promising matrix for drug analysis.
• The study proposes a standard protocol for sample collection and processing for skeletal tissues.