Microbial neoformation of volatiles: implications for the estimation of post-mortem interval in decomposed human remains
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ORIGINAL ARTICLE
Microbial neoformation of volatiles: implications for the estimation of post-mortem interval in decomposed human remains in an indoor setting Ann-Sofie Ceciliason 1,2 & M. Gunnar Andersson 3
&
Emma Lundin 2 & Håkan Sandler 1,2
Received: 2 June 2020 / Accepted: 30 September 2020 # The Author(s) 2020
Abstract The objective of this study was to determine if a relationship between microbial neoformation of volatiles and the post-mortem interval (PMI) exists, and if the volatiles could be used as a tool to improve the precision of PMI estimation in decomposed human remains found in an indoor setting. Chromatograms from alcohol analysis (femoral vein blood) of 412 cases were retrospectively assessed for the presence of ethanol, N-propanol, 1-butanol, and acetaldehyde. The most common finding was acetaldehyde (83% of the cases), followed by ethanol (37%), N-propanol (21%), and 1-butanol (4%). A direct link between the volatiles and the PMI or the degree of decomposition was not observed. However, the decomposition had progressed faster in cases with microbial neoformation than in cases without signs of neoformation. Microbial neoformation may therefore act as an indicator of the decomposition rate within the early decomposition to bloating stages. This may be used in PMI estimation based on the total body score (TBS) and accumulated degree days (ADD) model, to potentially improve the model’s precision. Keywords Neoformation of ethanol . N-Propanol . 1-Butanol . Acetaldehyde . Post-mortem interval . Total body score
Introduction A deeper understanding of the decomposition process is important for several reasons, including estimating time of death or the post-mortem interval (PMI) and interpreting injuries, pathological changes, and toxicological results. The decomposition process is divided into two major chemical processes: autolysis (mediated by internal enzymes and chemicals) and putrefaction (mediated by bacteria). Putrefaction is fermentation in which microorganisms use organic compounds Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (https://doi.org/10.1007/s00414-020-02436-4) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users. * Ann-Sofie Ceciliason [email protected] 1
Forensic Medicine, Department of Surgical Sciences; Uppsala University Hospital, Uppsala University, SE-751 85 Uppsala, Sweden
2
Department of Forensic Medicine, The National Board of Forensic Medicine, Box 1024, SE-751 40 Uppsala, Sweden
3
Department of Chemistry, Environment and Feed Hygiene, The National Veterinary Institute, SE-75189 Uppsala, Sweden
available in the dead body as electron acceptors to generate adenosine triphosphate for energy [1]. Ethanol is a well-known product of fermentation, although other volatiles are also produced post-mortem, such as acetaldehyde, acetone, 1-butanol, N-propanol, and isopropanol [2, 3]. The alcohols produced during decomposition depend on the microorganisms present and the substrates available [2]. Ethanol can also be
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