DNA extraction from human bone: comparison of magnetic bead and silica column techniques

Abstract

Objective: The present study aimed the comparison between the automated magnetic bead and silica column techniques for DNA extraction of human bones. Material and methods: Both techniques were performed on 25 human femur bones evaluating: I) the amount of extracted genetic material; II) the amount of amplified profiles; and III) the necessary time range to perform the techniques. Results: The automated magnetic bead technique recovered larger amount of DNA in 88% of the studied bone sample in comparison with the silica column technique. The automated magnetic bead technique also achieved a high level of amplifications (9/16 loci) in 68% of the sample, while the silica column technique reached equal level of amplifications only in 36% of the sample. The time range elapsed for performing the automated magnetic bead technique was approximately 3 hours for processing 12 samples, while the silica column technique performed the same samples in 81 hours. Conclusion: Based on that, the automated magnetic bead technique presented optimal outcomes and faster performance compared to the silica column technique, revealing a valuable tool for forensic DNA extraction.