Malaysian Journal of Analytical Sciences Vol 23 No 3 (2019): 548 - 560

DOI: 10.17576/mjas-2019-2303-19

 

 

 

CUTICULAR HYDROCARBONS OF PUPAL CASES OF Chrysomya megacephala (FABRICIUS) AND ITS POSSIBLE USE FOR ESTIMATING POSTMORTEM INTERVAL

 

(Hidrokarbon Kutikel Kepompong Chrysomya megacephala dan Kegunaannya untuk Menganggar Sela Masa Kematian)

 

Nurul Nadhirah Nasir¹, Mohamad Afiq Mohamed Huri¹, Reena Abd. Rashid²,  Jaafariah Jaafar¹, Naji Arafat Mahat¹*

 

¹Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science,

Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, 81310 UTM Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia

²Chemistry (Forensic Analysis) Programme, Faculty of Applied Sciences,

Universiti Teknologi MARA, 40450 Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia

 

*Corresponding author:  naji@kimia.fs.utm.my

Received: 25 October 2017; Accepted: 22 January 2019

 

 

Abstract

Pupal cases of Chrysomya megacephala are commonly found at death scenes; however, its utilization for forensic investigation remains nascent. Although the use of cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs) for estimating the age of pupal cases has been reported, they were either laboratory-controlled experiments or in environmental conditions peculiar to Malaysia. Hence, this present research examined the CHCs in the pupal cases of C. megacephala exposed to the natural weathering in Malaysia provides empirical evidence for its age estimation. While confirmation of the identity of CHCs was done using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, meanwhile gas chromatography-flame ionization detector was used for quantifying the concentrations. The hexane extract of the pupal cases of C. megacephala contained a mixture of odd-numbered high molecular weight aliphatic (heptacosane (n-C27) and nonacosane (n-C29)), and branched alkanes (tetradecane, 2,6,20-trimethyl- and octadecane, 3-ethyl-5-(2-ethylbutyl)).  Significant decrease (p <0.05) in the concentrations of n-C27 and n-C29 was observed, with the pattern being highly correlated (r > -0.926) with that of subsequent weathering intervals. Such findings had enabled formulation of credible mathematical algorithms for relating the concentrations of n-C27 and n-C29 in the pupal cases of C. megacephala versus the natural weathering intervals for its age estimation in Malaysia.

 

Keywords:  forensic science, cuticular hydrocarbon, Chrysomya megacephala, postmorterm interval, Malaysia

Abstrak

Kepompong Chrysomya megacephala biasa dijumpai di tempat penemuan kematian; namun, penggunaanya dalam  penyiasatan  forensik masih baharu. Meskipun penggunaan kutikel hidrokarbon (CHC) dalam menganggar umur kepompong telah dilaporkan, ia sama ada dijalankan dalam ujikaji makmal terkawal ataupun dalam keadaan persekitaran yang janggal untuk Malaysia.  Justeru, kajian ini yang menyelidik CHC dalam kepompong C. megacephala terdedah kepada proses luluhawa semulajadi di Malaysia memberikan bukti empirikal dalam menganggar usianya. Pengesahan identiti CHC dilakukan dengan menggunakan kromatografi gas-spektrometer jisim, manakala kromatografi gas-pengesan nyalaan pengionan digunakan untuk menentukan kepekatannya. Ekstrak heksana kepompong C. megacephala mengandungi campuran alifatik molekul berat yang bernombor ganjil (heptakosana (n-C27) dan nonakosana (n-C29)) dan alkana bercabang (tetradekana, 2,6,20-trimetil- dan oktadekana, 3-etil-5-(2-etilbutil)). Penurunan signifikan (p <0.05) dalam kepekatan n-C27 dan n-C29 dapat diperhatikan, dengan corak penurunan berkorelasi tinggi (r> -0.926) dengan sela masa luluhawa. Penemuan tersebut membolehkan perumusan algoritma matematik yang mapan bagi mengaitkan kepekatan n-C27 dan n-C29 dalam kepompong C. megacephala dengan sela masa luluhawa semula jadi untuk menganggar usianya di Malaysia.

 

Kata kunci:  sains forensik, hidrokarbon kutikel, Chrysomya megacephala, sela masa kematian, Malaysia

 

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