Forensic toxicological study on alternative cadaveric matrices and larvae of Lucilia sericata

In cases of advanced decomposition, conventional biological matrices for toxicological analysis may be unavailable or compromised. This study wants to investigate alternative cadaveric matrices collected from a body found several days after death, in which traditional matrices were limited to small amounts of degraded blood and urine. Instead, larvae, hair, and nails were collected and analysed. High-performance liquid chromatography coupled with high-resolution mass spectrometry (HPLC-HR-MS) and headspace gas chromatography with flame ionization detection (HS-GC-FID) were employed to investigate possible drug and alcohol consumption. The analyses performed on these alternative matrices, together with those conducted on the available blood sample, contributed to determining the cause of death as acute alcohol intoxication with concomitant opioid use in a subject with a history of chronic alcohol and opioid abuse. The findings highlight the value of alternative matrices in post-mortem toxicology, particularly when decomposition restricts the availability of traditional samples.