Recent advances in the application of CE to forensic sciences, an update over years 2009–2011

Abstract

The present article reviews and comments the applications of capillary electrophoresis in the different areas of forensic sciences covering the time from the second half of 2009 until the first part of 2011, being the latest update of previous reviews covering the years from 2001 to 2009. Numerous articles reporting applications of capillary electrophoresis to analytical problems of potential interest for the forensic researchers and scientists can be found in the most qualified journals of analytical chemistry, analytical biochemistry, pharmacology, toxicology, laboratory medicine, human genetics, etc. However, the present review has been focused on discussing only the most relevant examples of analytical applications of capillary electrophoretic and electrokinetic techniques published in the following fields: (i) illicit and abused drugs, (ii) ions and small molecules of forensic interest, (iii) proteins and peptides of forensic interest, (iv) dyes and inks, (v) forensic DNA. The present review collects and comments on 60 references.

Y-STR genetic screening by high-resolution melting analysis

“…In many cases, a large number of evidence materials are needed for quick screening. The key to whether these materials can play a critical role in analysis lies in whether technologies, particularly evidence-screening methods, can be performed efficiently (Pascali et al, 2012;Ziętkiewicz et al, 2012). Thus, high-performance technologies that can be used for screening are urgently needed.…”

“…Additionally, electrophoresis-based methods only differentiate genotypes of length polymorphisms, while nucleotide variations such as single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the flanking sequences of a repeat motif cannot be detected. Therefore, more potentials of the marker system have been restrained by the approaches to analyze the markers (Butler et al, 2004;Butler, 2007;Pascali et al, 2012). Thus, there is an urgent for new STR genotyping approaches.…”

Capillary and Microchip Electrophoresis

“…Other detection principles for inorganic ions, including inductively coupled plasma MS and amperometry, are being used in research laboratories [116,118]. There is a wide range of fields of applications in which CE is or is becoming a popular method for analysis of inorganic ions and small molecules, including environmental analysis (also in the field with a portable CE instrument) [116,119], food analysis [120], as well as clinical and forensic analysis [121,122].…”

Simultaneous determination of pharmaceutical components in dietary supplements for weight loss by capillary electrophoresis tandem mass spectrometry

“…[11,12] CE is suitable for the analysis of highly polar and chargeable compounds which are often not well separated by common reversed phase LC. [11,12] CE is suitable for the analysis of highly polar and chargeable compounds which are often not well separated by common reversed phase LC.…”