1. Chapter 9: Identification of Saliva and Misc. Biological Fluids

2.  Human salivary glands produce 1.0-1.5 liters per day  Mostly water  Amylase- digests carbohydrates in the oral cavity  Identification of amylase indicates saliva  Enzymes that cleave polysaccarides that are composed of D-glucose units connected by (α1-4) linkages ▪ Starch Forensic Biology by Richard Li2

3.  Starch  Amylose  Amylopectin  Two types of amylases:  β-amylase ▪ Plant and bacterial sources  α-amylase ▪ Human ▪ Human salivary (HSA) ▪ Human pancreatic (HPA) Forensic Biology by Richard Li3

4.  Visual Examination  ALS (470nm), Microscopic  Starch-iodine assays  Iodine used to test for starch  Not specific  Colorimetric assays  Dye-labeled amylase substrates are employed  Phadebas test Forensic Biology by Richard Li4

5.  Immunochromatographic Assays  RSID-Saliva  ELISA  Monoclonal HSA antibody  RNA-based assays  Certain genes are specifically expressed in certain types of cells Forensic Biology by Richard Li5

6.  Vaginal secretions, Menstrual blood, Urine, Feces, Vomitus  Less frequently encountered  Can be probative in certain cases Forensic Biology by Richard Li6