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Definition:
The forensic mycology involves the use of fungi to identify the potential contaminants or toxins, death time and to find the location of the buried bodies.
Potential contaminants or toxins:
A number of mushrooms can be poisonous or fatal due to the presence of fungi in it. These fungal species are not identified straightforwardly, which means they are previously known to be beneficial but became harmful through evolution. The toxic substances of the fungi are known as mycotoxins. They are either found in food or in dead matter. The mycotoxins are classified as fumonisins, ochratoxins and aflatoxins. Here are certain fungal species and their toxins listed below:
➢ Aspergillus:
This species produces aflatoxins and they are carcinogenic. It also produces ochratoxins, patulin and many other toxic substances. The aflatoxins are produced in plants like tree nuts, peanuts and maize.
➢ Penicillium:
It can produce ochratoxins that are present in food materials like fruits, cereals, etc.,
➢ Fusarium:
This species can produce fumosins, zearalenone and trichothecenes that affect grains and cereals.
The toxins and their impacts are listed below:
➢ Aflatoxins:
It causes cancer in the liver and several other health problems.
➢ Trichothecenes:
It causes diarrhea, immune suppression and vomiting.
➢ Ochratoxins:
It causes damage in the kidney and has been connected to Balkan endemic nephropathy.
➢ Fumonisins:
It is connected to defects in the neural tube.
➢ Patulin:
It causes health issues in gastrointestinal parts and is present in products of apple and apple itself.
Death time:
It is nothing but the postmortem interval. The time duration between a person died and the postmortem of the person’s dead body. Several factors involved in the postmortem interval estimation which will ultimately calculate the time of the death of a suspected person or victim. Those factors are rates of growth, patterns of colonization, and environmental factors.
➢ Rates of growth:
Most of the fungal species possess a consistent growth rate. So, the time from when the fungi are growing on the corpse is calculated.
➢ Patterns of colonization:
A variety of fungal species colonize at various times during the process of decomposition, which is useful in calculating the time of the death.
➢ Environmental factors:
The presence of huge numbers of fungi and its type are the factors that influence in calculating the death time.
Location of the buried bodies:
The factors that influence in the tracking of the corpse include case studies and evidential trace.
➢ Case studies:
Unlike fungi, other organisms do not specifically indicate the presence of the corpse in a particular environment.
➢ Evidential trace:
The spores and pollen of the fungi found on the corpse can be used to locate the corpse .
Assets of forensic mycology:
The different fungal species that play an imminent role in forensic science are Mucor sp, Pestalotiopsis sp, Scopulariopsis brevicaulis, Aspergillus sp, Candida sp, Cladosporium cladosporioides, Epicoccum nigrum, Penicillium sp, Chrysosporium merdarium and Arthrinium arundinis.
➢ Mucor sp. :
It becomes needy in the later phase of decomposition which is nothing but skeletonization.
Note: Skeletonization refers to the examination of the skeletons at a stage where all the tissues are completely decomposed.
➢ Pestalotiopsis sp.:
It is useful in investigating the outdoor crime scene.
Note: An outdoor crime scene is one which is not preserved well and most likely to be contaminated.
➢ Scopulariopsis brevicaulis:
It is useful in human colonization.
Note: Human Colonization refers to the take over of the entire body by a particular organism.
➢ Aspergillus sp.:
Numerous Aspergillus sp. are present in the corpses.
➢ Candida sp.:
They are found in the cadavers at an early decomposition stage.
➢ Cladoosporium cladosporioides:
It is useful in locating the burial place of the dead bodies, especially the indoor crime scenes and used to identify the time of the death.
Note: An indoor crime scene is not prone to contamination, perhaps well-documented and preserved.
➢ Epicoccum nigrum:
It is also called “Black yeast”, as it produces dark coloured spores. It is used to identify bodies in the indoor crime scenes.
➢ Penicillium sp.:
It is likely to Aspergillus sp.
➢ Chrysosporium merdarium:
This species is a keratinophilic fungus, as it is present on keratinized parts of the body like hair, skin etc.,
➢ Arthrinium arundinis:
It is a rare fungi which is present as a result of onchomysis in a person with leprosy.
Note: Onchomysis is a nail infection.
Disadvantages:
Some of the disadvantages include challenges in the fungal species identification, standardization limits, complexity in interpretation, expertise in bioinformatics and risks of contamination.
➢ Challenges in the fungal species identification:
There are a lot of challenges and difficulties in identifying the particular fungal species.
➢ Standardization limits:
This field is very new to today’s modern science and even now it is under development.
➢ Complexity in interpretation:
The factors like substrate type, environmental conditions are crucial for identifying the fungal species.
➢ Expertise in bioinformatics:
Some techniques like DNA metabarcoding require expert skills in bioinformatics.
➢ Risks of contamination:
The fungal species are contaminated with airborne spores. So, it becomes difficult for the isolation of the specific fungal species.
