An Experimental Rib Pig Model to Verify Postmortem Xenobiotics Recovery and Bone Conditions After Controlled Aging

In forensic practice the unavailability of traditional biological samples for toxicological examinations, such as in decomposed body, is not rare. The continuous scientific research of possible alternative matrices has identified the bone tissue as a substrate usable for the toxicological purpose. Particularly, rib bone marrow (BM) seems to be an optimal specimen for xenobiotics recovery. The aim of the present study was a suitability assessment of rib BM to detect acute and previous xenobiotics consumption. Rib segments of about 5 g were spiked with antidepressant (Amitriptyline, Citalopram, Venlafaxine and Sertraline) and antipsychotic (Haloperidol, Chlorpromazine, Clotiapine, Methotrimeprazine, Promazine) at the concentration levels of 200 and 500 ng/g. Pig ribs were examined at time 0 and after 15, 30, 60 and 90 days to verify the persistency of the substances. Histological study to verify any structural alterations in pig rib morphology after extraction procedure were carried out both fresh and following incubation at 25°C for 3 months. All the substances were still measurable after three months aging. Only haloperidol was no longer detectable at T90. No significant recovery differences were noted between ribs fortified with 200 or 500 ng/g, both for antidepressants and antipsychotics, at the other sampling times. No structural alterations in pig rib morphology neither after leaching nor after the aging process (25°C for 3 months) were found. There is limited scientific evidence to show that bone/BM drug concentrations reflect those of blood at time of death, yet. However, bone/BM drug detection is helpful in forensic investigation to give information on xenobiotics intake.