Identification and quantification of diphenhydramine, haloperidol, and its metabolite, reduced haloperidol in a saponified brain specimen that was immersed in the sea water for more than 10 years

Abstract

In forensic toxicology, blood and urine specimens are commonly used for detecting and quantifying drugs and their metabolites. When the cadaver is so damaged or decomposed such that the specimens mentioned above cannot be collected, it is necessary to perform drug analysis using alternative specimens such as hair, nails, oral fluids and meconium. Adipocere is resistant to further degradation; it is thus possible to be used as an alternative specimen to analyze drugs and their metabolites. Some researchers indeed have reported drug concentrations in saponified samples that were collected years after decedents’ deaths. In this study, we subjected saponified brain, which remained under sea for over 10 years after death, to forensic toxicological analysis using liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS). Using product ion scan analysis, we confirmed the presence of diphenhydramine, haloperidol, and reduced haloperidol, a metabolite of haloperidol. In addition, drugs and metabolite quantification were performed using the standard addition method. Correlation coefficients of the calibration curves were over 0.98. Analyte concentrations in the saponified brain were as follows: diphenhydramine was 1.84 ng/g, haloperidol was 1.30 ng/g, and reduced haloperidol was 3.02 ng/g. Our results suggest that it can be possible to quantify not only parent drugs but also their metabolites in saponified brain. These findings indicate that saponified tissues could be applied as alternative specimens for forensic toxicology, and could be useful as supporting information for victim identification.