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393088

Novel and conventional techniques for detecting clonazepam in Lucilia cuprina (Diptera: Calliphoridae).

Article

Last updated: 25 Dec 2024

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Abstract

Benzodiazepine drugs, particularly clonazepam, are used as adjunctive therapy to manage epilepsy and control seizures. However, the misuse of these drugs can be fatal. One requirement in forensic investigations is to find evidence of drug residue within a deceased individual's body. In such investigations, entomology can assist by conducting specific pathological and toxicological tests, even when the body is highly decomposed. This study evaluated the effectiveness of two new methods, namely the measurement of protein carbonyls and the use of α,α-diphenyl-β-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), in detecting clonazepam in Lucilia cuprina (Wiedemann, 1830). The insect's larvae were fed on the muscle tissues of clonazepam-injected rabbits. These methods were compared to the conventional analytical technique of "High-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry" (HPLC-MS). Additionally, the impact of the drug on L. cuprina development was assessed by measuring morphometric data at the larval, prepupal, and pupal stages. The results demonstrated a significant increase in morphological characteristics (weight, length, and width) in all the groups treated with the drug, when compared to negative and/or positive control groups. Furthermore, the drug caused a noticeable rise in protein carbonyl levels, indicating oxidative damage in the treated groups compared to the control groups. Clonazepam also substantially increased the DPPH inhibition percentage when compared to the negative control. HPLC-MS successfully detected a significant elevation in clonazepam concentration in all the treated L. cuprina specimens. Furthermore, the empty pupariam of L. cuprina has proven its validity to detect the drug.  

DOI

10.21608/ajbs.2024.393088

Keywords

Forensic entomology, Entomotoxicology, Benzodiazepines, Oxidative Stress, developmental data

Authors

First Name

Ghada

Last Name

El-BassionyM.

MiddleName

-

Affiliation

Department of Entomology, Faculty of Science, Cairo University, Cairo, P.O. Box 12613, Egypt

Email

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City

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Orcid

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First Name

Fatma

Last Name

Afifi

MiddleName

M.

Affiliation

Department of Entomology, Faculty of Science, Cairo University, Cairo, P.O. Box 12613, Egypt

Email

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City

-

Orcid

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First Name

Eman

Last Name

Abdelfattah

MiddleName

Alaaeldin

Affiliation

Department of Entomology, Faculty of Science, Cairo University, Cairo, P.O. Box 12613, Egypt

Email

eman.alaaeldein@gmail.com

City

Giza

Orcid

-

Volume

20

Article Issue

2

Related Issue

48538

Issue Date

2024-06-01

Receive Date

2024-10-21

Publish Date

2024-12-25

Page Start

235

Page End

246

Print ISSN

1687-4870

Online ISSN

2314-5501

Link

https://ajbs.journals.ekb.eg/article_393088.html

Detail API

https://ajbs.journals.ekb.eg/service?article_code=393088

Order

393,088

Type

Original Article

Type Code

1,101

Publication Type

Journal

Publication Title

African Journal of Biological Sciences

Publication Link

https://ajbs.journals.ekb.eg/

MainTitle

Novel and conventional techniques for detecting clonazepam in Lucilia cuprina (Diptera: Calliphoridae).

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Type

Article

Created At

25 Dec 2024