Publication details
Attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) analysis of human nails: Implications for age determination in forensics
| Title in English | Attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infraredspectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) analysis of human nails: Implicationsfor age determination in forensics |
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| Authors | |
| Year of publication | 2025 |
| Type | Article in Periodical |
| Magazine / Source | Journal of Forensic Sciences |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
| Citation | |
| web | https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/1556-4029.15641 |
| Doi | http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/1556-4029.15641 |
| Keywords | age; ATR FT-IR; chemometrics; nails; PLS-DA; PLS-R |
| Description | A person's age estimation from biological evidence is a crucial aspect of forensic investigations, aiding in victim identification and criminal profiling. In this study, we present a novel approach of utilizing Attenuated Total Reflection Fourier Transform Infrared (ATR FT-IR) spectroscopy to predict the age of donors based on nail samples. A diverse dataset comprising nails from donors spanning different age groups was analyzed using ATR FT-IR, with subsequent multivariate analysis techniques used for age prediction. The developed partial least squares regression (PLS-R) model demonstrated promising accuracy in age estimation, with a root mean square error of prediction (RMSEP) equal to 11.1 during external validation. Additionally, a partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) classification model achieved high accuracy of 88% in classifying donors into younger and older age groups during external validation. This proof-of-concept study highlights the potential of ATR FT-IR spectroscopy as a non-destructive and efficient tool for age estimation in forensic investigations, offering a new approach to forensic analysis with practical implications. |