Examination Of Saliva Stains

Savikarjit Singh Thind

187/10
Section C
9th Semester

Examination Of Saliva
Stains

What Is Saliva ?

Watery, frothy substance.

Produced in Salivary Gland.
It is 98% water.
Contains important substances :
Mucus
antibacterial compounds and
various enzymes.
Biological Characteristics
Humans produce 1 1.5 L of saliva a day.
70% is produced in Submandibular Gland.
25% In Parotid gland.
5% In Sublingual Gland.
Aids in digestion by lubricating food and begins breakdown of
starches .

Examination Of Saliva
Stains
Saliva Stains
It May Be Found :
At Scene.
On Handkerchief.
On Discarded Cigarette Stubs.
On Cups, Tumblers, Bottles.
On Postage Stamps or Envelopes.
On Tooth Picks.
On Piece of Cloth

Stains On Pillow

Stains On handkerchief

Examination Of Saliva Stains

How Is Saliva Detected ?
Saliva Stains are Detected By Methods Based On The Presence of
Amylase
Amylase Is An Enzyme that Breakdowns Starch and Glycogen Into
Simple Sugars.
Found in many body fluids; very high in Saliva.
Two Tests Are There:
Starch-Iodine test.
Phadebas Reagent.
a) Press Test
b) Tube Test

Examination Of Saliva Stains

Starch-Iodine Test
One of the earliest method for saliva detection
Devised by W. Roberts in 1881.
In presence of iodine starch turns blue.
As amylase breakdowns starch, the colour changes and
subsides.

Procedure
1. Wells containing different amounts of amylase are dipped in starch agar
and petri dish.
2. Then wells are flooded with iodine solution.
3. If amylase (saliva) is present, the blue color begins to vanish.

Examination Of Saliva Stains

Drawbacks Of The Test
The presence of proteins particularly albumin and gammagiobulin originating in other body fluids such as blood and
semen, compete with starch for iodine and produce false
positive results.
The test is also difficult to use as a locator test for stains on
items.

Examination Of Saliva Stains

Phadebas Reagent Test
What Is
Phadebas ?
Phadebasis a syntheticbiochemical substrate.
Manufactured by Pharmacia and produced in tablet form.
used for both qualitative and quantitative assessment of
the-amylaseenzyme.
Its active component is DSM-P, microspheres in which a
blue dye has been chemically bound.
When the substrate is digested by the amylase enzyme in
solution, it releases that blue dye at a rate proportional to
the quantity of the enzyme present.
It is used in a range of applications from quality control
tests for food & beverages to detection of saliva stains in
forensic investigations.

Examination Of Saliva Stains

Phadebas Reagent (Press Test)

ThePhadebas Forensic Press testis a new product that
detects saliva stains by reacting with amylase. When the paper is
pressed against a saliva stain a blue spot occurs.

Procedure
Step 1.
Place item to be tested on a
flat and clean surface.

Examination Of Saliva
Stains
Step 2.
Dampen Phadebas paper with
water.
Cover
testing
area
with
Phadebas paper, reagent side
down.

Step 3.
Trace an outline of
testing
area
on
Phadebas paper.

the
the

Examination Of Saliva Stains

Step 4.
Cover the Phadebas paper
with a clean glass board.
Weighdown the arrangement.
Paper is left on the area and
watched for blue colour change.

Step 5.
Start the timer and observe the test
frequently during 40 minutes.
Record the
time of positive
reaction (distinct area of diffuse
blue color).

Examination Of Saliva Stains

Phadebas Reagent (Tube Test)