A general review on the identification and detection of saliva for forensic testing

Abstract

Saliva is the biological evidence that is most frequently discovered at crime scenes. Because it is clear, there will be no indication that the liquid has been altered by the offender. Saliva is often utilized as biological evidence in forensics and is particularly useful in identifying a person's sex, ABO blood type, uniqueness, biomarkers, microbiological signature, or habits. The importance of saliva as essential forensic evidence and the numerous ways it can appear at a crime scene are covered in this review article. Over past few decades, various collecting and detection techniques have been discussed. The data that is now accessible have been attempted to be gathered, showing the benefits and drawbacks of various identification methods. All of the published and reported literature from 1980s through 2023 has been consulted to gather the pertinent facts. Forensic casework's main objective is to identify evidence to lay the foundation for additional inquiry. Saliva can be found as a puddle or stained substance, however, because to its transparency, its identification is difficult. The discovery and description of numerous proposed approaches or techniques over the years has aided in detecting and recognizing saliva as confirmation.