1 . Introduction . . . . . . . . . . 2 . Methods of ethanol determination . . . . . . A . Chemical methods . . . . . . . . B . Enzymic method . . . . . . . . C . Gas chromatographic methods 3 . Levels of ‘Endogenous’ ethanol . . . . . . . 4 . Evidence of post-mortem production of ethanol . . . . A . Ethanolformationindead animals . . . . . B . Ethanol formationin hurnancorpses C . Ethanol formationinisolated tissues . . . . . D . Conclusions . . . . . . . . . 5 . Substrates available for ethanol production A . Biochemical changes occurring in muscle prior to rigor mortis B . Glucose and glycogen levels in tissues . . . . . C . Other substrates . . . . . . . . . (i) Ribose . . . . . . . . . (ii) Amino acids . . . . . . . . (iii) Lactate . . . . . . . . . D . Processes during putrefaction (glycerol production) . . E . Conclusions . . . . . . . . . 6 . ‘Post-mortem’ microbiology . . . . . . . A . Numbers . . . . . . . . . . B . Effect of mode of death . . . . . . . C . Microflora of lymph nodes . . . . . . . D . ‘Bone taint’ . . . . . . . . . E . Types of organisms isolated from blood and other tissues . F . Organisms that cause decomposition (putrefaction) . . C . Mode of spread of bacteria in human corpses H . Conclusions . . . . . . . . .

/pdf/possible-sources-of-ethanol-ante-and-post-mortem-its-1mlpd0mblk.pdf

Possible Sources of Ethanol Ante- and Post-mortem: its Relationship to the Biochemistry and Microbiology of Decomposition

Headspace gas chromatographic determination of ethanol: the use of factorial design to study effects of blood storage and headspace conditions on ethanol stability and acetaldehyde formation in whole blood and plasma.

G.A. Brown

Papers

The stability of ethanol in stored blood. I. Important variables and interpretation of results.