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Postmortem drug metabolism by bacteria

M D Robertson1, O H Drummer

  • 1Victorian Institute of Forensic Pathology, Monash University, South Melbourne.

Journal of Forensic Sciences
|May 1, 1995
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

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Enteric bacteria can bioconvert nitrobenzodiazepines like flunitrazepam into 7-amino-metabolites postmortem. Temperature and pH influence these bacterial metabolism rates, with inhibitors affecting conversion efficiency.

Area of Science:

  • Forensic Toxicology
  • Microbiology
  • Pharmacology

Background:

  • Postmortem changes in drug concentrations are complex.
  • Enteric bacteria are known to influence drug metabolism.
  • Benzodiazepines are commonly prescribed and detected in forensic cases.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the role of enteric bacteria in the postmortem bioconversion of specific nitrobenzodiazepines.
  • To identify the resulting metabolites.
  • To quantify the rates of bioconversion under varying conditions.

Main Methods:

  • Incubation of flunitrazepam, clonazepam, and nitrazepam with eight species of enteric bacteria in blood.
  • Measurement of metabolite formation over time.
  • Assessment of the effects of temperature, pH, and inhibitors (sodium fluoride, potassium oxalate) on metabolism.

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Main Results:

  • Complete metabolism of flunitrazepam, clonazepam, and nitrazepam to their 7-amino-metabolites was observed.
  • Metabolism rates varied significantly between bacterial species, from 0.1 ng/mL/min (Streptococcus faecalis) to 8.8 ng/mL/min (Clostridium perfringens).
  • Sodium fluoride and potassium oxalate inhibited bioconversion, with increasing temperature generally increasing the rate.

Conclusions:

  • Enteric bacteria likely play a significant role in the postmortem bioconversion of nitrobenzodiazepines.
  • Understanding these bacterial-mediated transformations is crucial for accurate postmortem drug analysis.
  • Factors like temperature and inhibitors can modulate the extent of bioconversion.