The effect of decomposition and adipocere formation: Are these affected by body wrapping?

Adipocere is a greasy, waxy substance produced as a late post-mortem change that occurs due to putrefactive and hydrolytic enzymes associated with the decomposition process. Enzymes which convert free fatty acids in adipose tissue to saturated fatty acids commonly known to comprise adipocere include myristic, palmitic, stearic and hydroxy stearic acids. Many factors can affect the decomposition process, either increasing or retarding its rate of development, but there is limited research into the effects that wrapping materials and coverings have upon decomposition and adipocere formation in a forensic setting.\ud A study was conducted to investigate the effects of different types of wrapping materials on the rate and extent of adipocere formation on a porcine model. Analysis using Gas-Chromatography coupled with Mass-Spectrometry was employed to determine the chemical composition of adipocere which formed over a 14 week decomposition period. \ud \ud The results suggest that wrapping materials accelerate the rate of adipocere formation in non-aqueous environments, suggesting that the water content within the porcine tissue is sufficient to induce adipocere formation. The chromatograms demonstrated the hydrolysis of triglycerides in fatty tissue to unsaturated fatty acids, oleic acid and palmitoleic acid. The further hydrogenation into saturated fatty acids, comprising palmitic acid and stearic acid were present confirming adipocere formation. \ud \ud A knowledge of the effects of a variety of different types of wrapping materials on the rate at which adipocere forms and its composition would be a useful forensic indicator and can offer valuable information for the estimation of post-mortem intervals and peri-mortem events.\ud \ud Undergraduate Thesis\ud SPG errors may be present\ud \ud Supervisor contact: j.p.cassella@staffs.ac.uk (John P Cassella)\ud Staffordshire University - Switchboard (01782) 29400