The oleanders are evergreen flowering shrubs that grow well in warm subtropical regions. The oleanders contain numerous toxic cardiac glycosides, including oleandrin, digitoxigenin and folineriin which are present in all parts of the plant. The most significant of these toxins is oleandrin. This study presents a case of fatal poisoning with oleander leaves in an adult male. A 50-year-old man was found dead, and suspected to ingest oleander leaves. Blood sample was collected and analyzed by LC/MS/MS. The oleandrin was detected in blood specimen. Calibration curves exhibited correlation coefficients >0.9988 in the concentration range of 5-50 ng/mL, and oleandrin concentration in blood was 22 ng/mL. The cause of death for this case was determined to be acute oleandrin intoxication.
법과학 분야는 사회정의 구현에 있어 크나큰 가치가 있음에도 불구하고 우리나라에서는 이 분야에 대한 인식이 미흡하여 선진 외국에 비해 침체되어 있는 실정이다. 이에 우리나라에서도 법과학 분야와 관련 있는 학계, 연구기관, 수사기관 등 유관 단체들로 구성된 한국 법과학회를 창립하여 이 분야를 활성화 시켜 과학수사를 한층 더 발전시키기 위함을 목적으로 한다.