AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE POST-MORTEM INTERVAL CONCENTRATION OF ANIONS IN THE AQUEOUS HUMOUR OF 3 DIFFERENT FARM ANIMALS

ABSTRACT

The aqueous humour is an important structure in the eye as it maintains the shape of the eye, provides nourishment and contributes to refraction. Anions are negatively charged ions that are present in the aqueous humour and their composition and levels can provide useful information for forensic investigation. The purpose of this study was to compare the concentration of HCO3- , Cl - and PO3- in the aqueous humour of Bovine, Caprine and Porcine eyes, comparing differences between them as well as between the gender. A total of thirty (30) pairs of healthy eyes from freshly slaughtered livestock consisting of Bovine (10), Porcine (10), and Caprine (10) was obtained from different abattoirs in Edo state. The eyes were enucleated and collected within an hour after death so as to correctly calculate the baseline level of bicarbonate, phosphate and chloride ion concentration as at the time of death and kept in a sterile container at room temperature (25C). The aqueous humour was carefully extracted from the enucleated bovine, porcine and caprine eyes at various post mortem intervals (0, 4, 8 and 24 hrs). Using the student t-test, the result showed a significant difference (p=0.000) in the concentration of anions in male and female Bovine, Caprine and Porcine eyes as well as between the right and left eyes for each of these animals.