Pharmacognostic and Phytochemical Screening of Datura stramonium by TLC and GC-MS: A Forensic Approach

Abstract

Forensic Botany helps in linking the location, type of crime, revealing modus Operandi, culprit as well as victim by various circumstantial facts. In the study, Datura stramonium was considered as major plant of Bundelkhand region encountered in poisoning cases in criminal Investigations. Datura plant was identified and its fresh leaves were washed to remove dirt, stored at 40C and were subjected to microscopic examination for botanical features, preliminary screening for alkaloids identification and chromatographic techniques such as TLC and GCMS for qualitative analysis of toxins present in the plant. The result showed that all techniques applied are suitable to identify the plant through botanical derived evidences such as leaf traces, resins, or plant extracts during the crime scene investigations. GCMS technique identified the main toxins and resulted that it contains high concentration of hyoscine and very fatal when administered eventually causes death.