Entomotoxicology, experimental set-up and interpretation for forensic toxicologists

• Published in: Forensic science international Vol. 208; no. 1; pp. 1 - 9
• Main Authors: Gosselin, Matthias, Wille, Sarah M.R, Fernandez, Maria del Mar Ramírez, Di Fazio, V, Samyn, Nele, De Boeck, Gert, Bourel, Benoit
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier Ireland Ltd 20-05-2011; Elsevier; Elsevier Limited; Elsevier Sequoia S.A
• Subjects: Animals; Bioaccumulation; Biological and medical sciences; Blood; Criminal investigations; Decomposition; Drug Stability; Drug use; Drugs; Drugs analysis; Entomology; Environment; Enzymes; Feeding Behavior; Forensic engineering; Forensic entomology; Forensic medicine; Forensic science; Forensic sciences; Forensic toxicology; Forensic Toxicology - methods; Gastrointestinal Motility; General aspects; Humans; Humidity; Immunoassay; Influence; Insect development; Insecta - drug effects; Insects; Investigative techniques, diagnostic techniques (general aspects); Knowledge; Laboratories; Life Cycle Stages - drug effects; Mass Spectrometry; Mathematical analysis; Medical sciences; Metabolism; Metabolites; Models, Animal; Motility; Organs; Pathology; Pharmacokinetics; Pharmacology; Postmortem Changes; Public health. Hygiene; Public health. Hygiene-occupational medicine; Review; Specimen Handling; Studies; Toxicology; Urine; Utilities; Insect development; Drugs analysis; Review; Forensic toxicology; Forensic entomology; Drug; Forensic science; Entomology; Legal medicine; Insecta; Forensic aspect; Experimental study; Interpretation; Toxicology; Arthropoda; Analysis; Development; Invertebrata; Bibliographic review
• ISSN: 0379-0738; 1872-6283
• DOI: 10.1016/j.forsciint.2010.12.015

Abstract Forensic entomotoxicology studies the usefulness of insects as alternative toxicological samples. Use of insects as alternative matrix for drug detection is well documented and recommended when conventional matrices such as blood, urine or internal organs are no longer available. However, several limitations of entomotoxicology have been highlighted, especially concerning interpretation of the drug concentrations in insects on human forensic cases. In addition, the lack of knowledge in pharmacokinetic of drugs in insects, large variability of experimental set-up and toxicological analysis compromise the utility of this science. This review focuses on the current knowledge of factors influencing drug detection in insects. Reasons for the current limitations, but also recommendations for future research are discussed and proposed in this paper.