Dermestes maculatus (Coleoptera: Dermestidae) development under fluoxetine effect using two drug administration
Noelia I Zanetti1, Andrea Costantino2, Natalia Lazzarini2
1Laboratorio de Invertebrados II, Departamento de Biología, Bioquímica y Farmacia, Instituto de Ciencias Biológicas y Biomédicas del Sur (CONICET-UNS), Bahía Blanca, Argentina.
Journal of Forensic Sciences
|October 9, 2020
Summary
Fluoxetine, a common antidepressant, did not affect the development of the flesh-eating beetle Dermestes maculatus. This finding suggests that the presence of fluoxetine in forensic cases will not impact postmortem interval estimations.
Area of Science:
- Forensic Entomology
- Toxicology
- Insect Physiology
Background:
- Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) like fluoxetine are frequently prescribed for psychiatric conditions.
- Fluoxetine may be encountered in clinical and forensic investigations.
- Dermestes maculatus beetles are important in decomposing remains, influencing postmortem interval (PMI) estimations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of fluoxetine exposure on the development of Dermestes maculatus.
- To determine if fluoxetine affects the duration of immature stages, overall life cycle, or morphological parameters of D. maculatus.
- To assess the reliability of D. maculatus in PMI estimations in the presence of fluoxetine.
Main Methods:
- Two models were used: pork muscle (non-living) and pigs (living), with fluoxetine administered at overdose concentrations (2000 mg/kg and 833 mg/kg, respectively).
- Developmental stages, life cycle duration, larval mortality, and morphological parameters (body length, cephalic width, weight) were monitored.
- Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) was employed for drug detection and quantification.
Main Results:
- No statistically significant differences were observed in the duration of immature stages or the total life cycle between fluoxetine-treated groups and controls.
- Morphological parameters, larval mortality, and sex ratio remained unaffected by fluoxetine exposure in both models.
- Fluoxetine was successfully detected and quantified in the experimental models.
Conclusions:
- Fluoxetine exposure, even at overdose concentrations, does not significantly alter the developmental timeline or morphology of Dermestes maculatus.
- The presence of fluoxetine in decomposing remains is unlikely to compromise the accuracy of postmortem interval estimations based on D. maculatus.
- Forensic entomologists can confidently utilize D. maculatus for PMI determination in cases involving fluoxetine.
