Bacterial populations associated with early-stage adipocere formation in lacustrine waters

Ueland, M; Breton, HA; Forbes, SL

Bacterial populations associated with early-stage adipocere formation in lacustrine waters

Ueland, M

Breton, HA Forbes, SL

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Publication Type:: Journal Article
Citation:: International Journal of Legal Medicine, 2014, 128 (2), pp. 379 - 387
Issue Date:: 2014-01-01

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Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Ueland, M https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9155-3502	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Breton, HA	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Forbes, SL https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7416-0080	en_US
dc.date.available	2013-08-13	en_US
dc.date.issued	2014-01-01	en_US
dc.identifier.citation	International Journal of Legal Medicine, 2014, 128 (2), pp. 379 - 387	en_US
dc.identifier.issn	0937-9827	en_US
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/45488
dc.description.abstract	The preservation of soft tissue is a valuable evidence for forensic investigation as it may provide information about the cause and manner of death as well as the time since death. Adipocere forms from the conversion of triglycerides in the neutral fats into stable fatty acids producing a solid white product which aids tissue preservation. Adipocere will typically form in water-logged grave sites and aquatic environments. Documentation on the chemical and microbiological changes that cause adipocere formation in aquatic environments is scant and mostly based on observational case reports. The aim of this study was to monitor the early adipocere formation in lacustrine waters to investigate the effect of aquatic bacteria on adipocere formation. Tissue samples from pork (Sus scrofa domesticus) belly were submerged in water samples from Lake Ontario and deionised water (control). Bacteria samples from both water and tissue were harvested. Changes in the fatty acid composition of the tissue were determined using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Early-stage adipocere formation was confirmed on porcine tissue submerged in lake water but was not identified on porcine tissue submerged in deionised water. Adipocere formation required an abundance of gram-positive bacteria during the early postmortem period to assist in lipolysing the triglycerides into free fatty acids. Formation of adipocere in the lake water resulted in a decrease in bacterial concentrations in the tissue over time. © 2013 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.	en_US
dc.relation.ispartof	International Journal of Legal Medicine	en_US
dc.relation.isbasedon	10.1007/s00414-013-0907-7	en_US
dc.subject.classification	Legal & Forensic Medicine	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Animals	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Swine	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Humans	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Gram-Negative Bacteria	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Gram-Positive Bacteria	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Postmortem Changes	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Fatty Acids	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Immersion	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Water Microbiology	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Bacterial Load	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Lakes	en_US
dc.title	Bacterial populations associated with early-stage adipocere formation in lacustrine waters	en_US
dc.type	Journal Article
utslib.citation.volume	2	en_US
utslib.citation.volume	128	en_US
utslib.for	0399 Other Chemical Sciences	en_US
utslib.for	0699 Other Biological Sciences	en_US
utslib.for	1103 Clinical Sciences	en_US
pubs.embargo.period	Not known	en_US
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Science
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Science/School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Strength - CFS - Centre for Forensic Science
utslib.copyright.status	closed_access
pubs.issue	2	en_US
pubs.publication-status	Published	en_US
pubs.volume	128	en_US

Abstract:

The preservation of soft tissue is a valuable evidence for forensic investigation as it may provide information about the cause and manner of death as well as the time since death. Adipocere forms from the conversion of triglycerides in the neutral fats into stable fatty acids producing a solid white product which aids tissue preservation. Adipocere will typically form in water-logged grave sites and aquatic environments. Documentation on the chemical and microbiological changes that cause adipocere formation in aquatic environments is scant and mostly based on observational case reports. The aim of this study was to monitor the early adipocere formation in lacustrine waters to investigate the effect of aquatic bacteria on adipocere formation. Tissue samples from pork (Sus scrofa domesticus) belly were submerged in water samples from Lake Ontario and deionised water (control). Bacteria samples from both water and tissue were harvested. Changes in the fatty acid composition of the tissue were determined using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Early-stage adipocere formation was confirmed on porcine tissue submerged in lake water but was not identified on porcine tissue submerged in deionised water. Adipocere formation required an abundance of gram-positive bacteria during the early postmortem period to assist in lipolysing the triglycerides into free fatty acids. Formation of adipocere in the lake water resulted in a decrease in bacterial concentrations in the tissue over time. © 2013 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.

Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item:

http://hdl.handle.net/10453/28846