Forensic entomotoxicology in decomposing corpses

Abstract

Abstract

Introduction: Entomotoxicology focuses on the application of toxicological analysis of insects found in corpses to identify the presence of drugs and toxins in tissues or cadaveric remains.

Objective: To review the usefulness of entomotoxicology as a tool for Forensic Sciences, in severely decomposed corpses, when collection of biological samples is not feasible.

Materials and methods: A search was conducted in Pubmed, Scopus, Scielo and Google Scholar using the keywords: Forensic entomology, Forensic entomotoxicology, Criminology, Forensic toxicology, Poisoning and Postmortem interval determination. Open access publications in Spanish and English published from 1992 to March 2021, were included.

Results: the initial search yielded 3476 references (Pubmed: 50; Scopus: 402; Scielo: 114; Google Scholar: 2910). Five hundred and sixty-six publications were excluded due to duplication; 49 were included in this review.

Conclusions: insects allow reliable analysis of toxins and drugs when this cannot be conducted directly from cadaveric remains. In Ecuador, more studies are required to investigate the application and development of this branch to determine its accuracy and usefulness at local, provincial, and regional levels. Globally, entomotoxicological research should be expanded to aquatic or fire scenarios, as well as the determine the impact of climate change on the entomofauna and its repercussions on the toxicological analysis of the different species.