Malaysian Journal of Analytical Sciences Vol 24 No 1 (2020): 107 - 114

 

 

 

 

MULTI-SPECTROSCOPIC AND CHEMOMETRICS ANALYSIS FOR FORENSIC DETERMINATION OF BLOOD SPECIES

 

(Multi-Spektroskopi dan Analisis Kemometrik untuk Penentuan Spesies Darah dalam Forensik)

 

Durga Devi Sandran¹, Yusmazura Zakaria², Noor Zuhartini Md Muslim¹, Nik Fakhuruddin Nik Hassan¹*

 

¹Forensic Science Program, School of Health Sciences

²Biomedicine Program, School of Health Sciences

Universiti Sains Malaysia, Health Campus, 16150 Kubang Kerian, Kelantan, Malaysia

 

*Corresponding author:  nikf@usm.my

 

 

Received: 20 November 2019; Accepted: 21 January 2020

 

 

Abstract

Blood trace is commonly found biological evidence at crime scenes. The main issues forensic investigators encounter upon retrieving blood samples is determining their origin. There is no statistical probability in the current examination methodology of potential blood evidence, and it is deemed subjective. Another method, involving DNA analysis, lengthy to perform and restricted due to its degradation and lack of samples. The main aim of this study was to evaluate the potential and suitability of tandem analysis using ATR-FTIR and UV/Vis spectroscopy as means for the characterization of blood samples in the context of forensic science. Conventional visual examination is insufficient to differentiate and classify spectra between blood from different animal species. Hence, to aid classification in each group, chemometrics analysis of the IR and UV/Vis spectral dataset was employed using the combined techniques of principal component analysis and linear discriminant analysis (PCA-LDA). PCA-LDA results demonstrated that blood spectra of various animal species differed in the compositions of blood protein i.e. amide A, I and II. The multivariate analysis based on PCA-LDA models indicated that ATR-FTIR and UV/Vis spectroscopy coupled with chemometrics provided excellent discrimination (94% correct classification) for the classification of blood samples from animal species. The non-destructive nature of vibrational and optical spectroscopic techniques and the success of chemometrics analysis demonstrated in this work have indeed offered a new dimension for the rapid identification of biomaterials of forensic relevance and essentially warrants further research.

 

Keywords:  spectroscopy, chemometrics, forensic, blood species

 

Abstrak

Kesan darah merupakan bahan bukti yang biasa dijumpai di tempat kejadian jenayah. Isu utama yang ditempuhi oleh para penyiasat forensik selepas menjumpai sampel darah ialah menentukan asal sumbernya. Kaedah baru iaitu pemeriksaan terhadap bahan bukti darah tidak memberi keputusan yang mempunyai kebarangkalian statistik serta ia dianggap sebagai subjektif. Kaedah lain iaitu analisis DNA, memakan masa yang agak lama untuk dijalankan dan terhad disebabkan degradasi dan kuantiti sampel yang kurang. Tujuan utama kajian ini adalah untuk menilai potensi dan kesesuaian spektroskopi ATR-FTIR dan UV-Vis sebagai satu cara untuk pencirian sampel darah dalam konteks sains forensik. Pemeriksaan visual konvensional tidak mencukupi untuk membezakan dan pengelasan spektrum antara darah spesies haiwan yang berlainan. Justeru, bagi membantu pengklasifikasian dalam setiap kumpulan, analisis kemometrik terhadap data spektrum IR dan UV-Vis telah diaplikasikan dengan menggunakan gabungan teknik analisis prinsip komponen dan analisis diskriminan linear (PCA-LDA). Hasil keputusan PCA-LDA menunjukkan bahawa spektrum darah pelbagai spesies haiwan mempunyai perbezaan dalam komposisi protein darah iaitu amida A, I dan II. Analisis multivariat berdasarkan model PCA-LDA menunjukkan bahawa gabungan spektroskopi ATR-FTIR dan UV-Vis bersamaan kemometrik menghasilkan diskriminasi yang cemerlang (94% klasifikasi yang tepat) bagi pengklasifikasian sampel darah spesies haiwan. Teknik getaran spektroskopi yang tidak memusnahkan sampel dan kejayaan analisis kemometrik yang didemonstrasikan di dalam kajian ini menawarkan dimensi baru bagi pengenalpastian bahan biologi dalam bidang forensik dengan lebih relevan dan memerlukan kajian yang lanjut.

 

Kata kunci:  spektroskopi, kemometrik, forensik, spesies darah

 

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