dc.description.abstract | One of the most discussed topics concerns the sample preparation before the analysis and,
therefore, all the operations necessary to eliminate the interferents, clean up the specimens, and
extract the analytes of interest, reducing the matrix effect. This review highlights the fundamental
steps in the treatment of postmortem samples used in forensic analysis. Through critical literature
research, it was possible to choose among the countless works that could provide a general overview
of the state-of-the-art in this field. Different biological matrices have been considered; blood and
urine (the traditional biological fluids) are used to investigate the presence of substances that may
have caused death, whilst other body fluids, such as bile and oral fluids, are still under discussion
for their usability (and suitability). In the second part of the review, all the solid matrices obtained
after autopsy were further divided into conventional and unconventional matrices to facilitate
proper understanding. The choice of literature was also made according to the most widely used
pretreatment techniques and the most representative innovative techniques. | tr |