The Importance of Reliable and Efficient Sample Preparation in the Development of a Novel Forensic Method to Detect Diclofenac Residues in Vultures and Livestock Animals

INTRODUCTION

Diclofenac (Figure 1) is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) that is extensively used to treat pain and reduce inflammation in humans and animals. Other commonly encountered NSAIDs include ibuprofen and

aspirin. First introduced as an analgesic and antiinflammatory agent for humans in the 1970s, it was in widespread use in veterinary medicine by the 1980s [1]. Diclofenac was registered for veterinary use on the Indian

subcontinent in the mid to late 1990s [2,3]. Here, livestock animals are often used as working machines, and diclofenac was regarded by veterinarians and farmers as a ‘wonder drug’ because of its evident benefits very quickly after dosage. The drug’s effectiveness, however, arises from its abatement of the symptoms rather than the root cause of the impairment. Multiple administration is often necessary, especially in elderly ailing animals, where nature eventually takes its course.

“Traditionally, livestock carcasses on the Indian subcontinent have been left out by the millions for scavengers, particularly vultures, to consume. Over the last decade several species of the vultures that were the primary

consumers of these carcasses face extinction, with diclofenac residues in the livestock carcasses implicated in the cause”