Premium
Volatile Organic Compound Profiling from Postmortem Microbes using Gas Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry
Author(s) -
Cernosek Terezie,
Eckert Kevin E.,
Carter David O.,
Perrault Katelynn A.
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
journal of forensic sciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.715
H-Index - 96
eISSN - 1556-4029
pISSN - 0022-1198
DOI - 10.1111/1556-4029.14173
Subject(s) - chemistry , odor , gas chromatography , solid phase microextraction , volatile organic compound , gas chromatography–mass spectrometry , mass spectrometry , chromatography , decomposition , environmental chemistry , dimethyl trisulfide , dimethyl disulfide , organic chemistry , sulfur
Volatile organic compounds ( VOC s) are by‐products of cadaveric decomposition and are responsible for the odor associated with decomposing remains. The direct link between VOC production and individual postmortem microbes has not been well characterized experimentally. The purpose of this study was to profile VOC s released from three postmortem bacterial isolates ( Bacillus subtilis, Ignatzschineria indica, I. ureiclastica) using solid‐phase microextraction arrow ( SPME Arrow) and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry ( GC ‐ MS ). Species were inoculated in headspace vials on Standard Nutrient Agar and monitored over 5 days at 24°C. Each species exhibited a different VOC profile that included common decomposition VOC s. VOC s exhibited upward or downward temporal trends over time. Ignatzschineria indica produced a large amount of dimethyldisulfide. Other compounds of interest included alcohols, aldehydes, aromatics, and ketones. This provides foundational data to link decomposition odor with specific postmortem microbes to improve understanding of underlying mechanisms for decomposition VOC production.