title: Effects of ketamine on the development of forensically important blowfly Chrysomya megacephala (F.) (Diptera: Calliphoridae) and its forensic relevance.
abstract: This study investigated effects of ketamine on the development of Chrysomya Megacephala (Diptera: Calliphoridae) at three different temperatures. Larvae of the C. Megacephala were exposed to different concentrations of drugs and temperatures. The larval lengths, weights, and developmental durations of each stage were observed. This study demonstrated that ketamine, low temperature, and their synergistic action significantly suppressed the development of C. Megacephala (p < 0.001). The time that the larvae in all the treatments achieved the maximum length/weight was significantly delayed (p < 0.05), and that resulted in prolonged duration of larval and prepupal stages especially at low temperature. However, no linear correlations were discovered between ketamine concentration and growth rate of larval length/weight.
authors.affiliation: Forensic Medicine Institute, Henan University of Science and Technology, No. 31 Anhui Road, Jianxi District, Luoyang, Henan, 471003, China.
authors.forename: Zhou
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Lü
authors.forename: Xiandun
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhai
authors.forename: Haimei
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Pu
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Jinqi
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: Ling
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Guan
authors.forename: Yaonan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Mo
mesh_terms: D000778:Anesthetics, Dissociative / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D004175:Diptera / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development*; D007649:Ketamine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007814:Larva / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development; D013696:Temperature
chemical_list: D000778:Anesthetics, Dissociative; D007649:Ketamine
keywords: Chrysomya megacephala; Ketamine; developmental duration; drug abuse; entomotoxicology; forensic entomology; forensic science; postmortem interval