FTIR Spectroscopy-based Examination of Cascabella thevetia (L.) Lippold: Preliminary Studies on Geographical Variations

Abstract

Plant poisons such as Cascabella thevetia are encountered in toxicological cases in the form of vomit, froth, or the gastric
lavage of the victim. This pilot study sought to effectively use Infrared spectroscopy to cater to rapid, unprejudiced and precise
identification of C. thevetia which will help conclude various forensic investigations soon. In the present study, powdered
leaves of this poisonous plant procured from two distinct geographical regions of India were analyzed using Fourier Transform
Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. The FTIR spectrum revealed the structural composition of this plant poison in the form of major
bands, thereby leading to its successful characterization. The spectra obtained for both samples were distinct in terms of the
intensity of the peaks present in their constitutional components. This model can be considered reliable and it could provide an
outstanding level of confidence during the conduction of ‘questioned versus known’ comparisons of plant poisons, confirming
the cause of death and the origin of the plant parts which will eventually help in rounding off the suspects