Traditionally, the post-mortem interval (PMI) is determined using methods such as forensic entomology or forensic pathology, however, these techniques are often limited to a particular post-mortem window of up to 72 – 120 h after death. In this study, lipids extracted from decomposing human tissue were investigated as potential soft-tissue biomarkers of PMI. Tissue samples were collected from two whole human donors (n = 2), one frozen and one fresh, placed at the Australian Facility for Taphonomic Experimental Research (AFTER) over the course of 69 days post-placement. These samples were analysed using gas chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (GC–MS/MS), demonstrating statistically significant differences for most fatty acid analytes and further highlighting the well-known stability of sterol compounds over time. Differences were observed between the fresh and frozen donor, with the fresh donor displaying more distinct stages of decomposition. Chemical differences between the donors were more distinct in the fatty acids than the sterols. The fatty acid profiles over time were further investigated and target analytes comprising saturated fatty acids (stearic acid and palmitic acid) and unsaturated fatty acids (oleic acid and linoleic acid) were found to be of particular importance due to their potential as indicators of PMI.

传统上，验尸间隔（PMI）是使用法医昆虫学或法医病理学等方法确定的，但是，这些技术通常仅限于死后最长72 – 120 h的特定验尸窗口。在这项研究中，从分解的人体组织中提取的脂质被研究为潜在的PMI软组织生物标志物。从两个完整的人类供体（n = 2）收集组织样品，其中一个冷冻，一个新鲜，放置在放置后69天的时​​间内放在澳大利亚快速实验研究设施（AFTER）。这些样品使用气相色谱和串联质谱（GC-MS / MS）进行了分析，结果表明大多数脂肪酸分析物在统计学上有显着差异，并进一步突显了众所周知的固醇化合物随时间的稳定性。在新鲜和冷冻供体之间观察到差异，新鲜供体显示出更明显的分解阶段。供体之间的化学差异在脂肪酸方面比固醇更明显。进一步研究了脂肪酸随时间的变化，发现包含饱和脂肪酸（硬脂酸和棕榈酸）和不饱和脂肪酸（油酸和亚油酸）的目标分析物具有特别重要的意义，因为它们具有作为PMI指标的潜力。