Entomotoxicology, experimental set-up and interpretation for forensic toxicologists.
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.
Laboratory of Toxicology, National Institute of Criminalistics and Criminology, Brussels, Belgium. Matthias.gosselin@just.fgov.be
Matthias
M
Gosselin
Sarah M R
SM
Wille
Maria del Mar Ramírez
Mdel M
Fernandez
V
V
Di Fazio
Nele
N
Samyn
Gert
G
De Boeck
Benoit
B
Bourel
D000818:Animals; D004355:Drug Stability; D004772:Entomology; D004777:Environment; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D053593:Forensic Toxicology / Q000379:methods*; D005769:Gastrointestinal Motility; D006801:Humans; D007313:Insecta / Q000187:drug effects*; D008018:Life Cycle Stages / Q000187:drug effects; D013058:Mass Spectrometry; D023421:Models, Animal; D010599:Pharmacokinetics; D011180:Postmortem Changes; D013048:Specimen Handling