A dataset on the GC-MS analysis of poisonous plants from fresh, degraded and simulated samples of Strychnos nux-vomica L. and Diospyros montana Roxb

Abstract

Toxic plant compound identification in forensic investigations is crucial for deciding the causes of poisoning, specifically in criminal or accidental cases. A comparative Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC–MS) analysis of Strychnos nux-vomica L. and Diospyros montana Roxb. Collected from different parts of India are presented in this work. This study includes fresh and simulated degraded and boiled samples. The goal of this research was to investigate the chemical profile changes in poisonous phytoconstituents caused by degradation and simulated circumstances, thereby assisting forensic specialists in evaluating biological evidence gathered in deteriorated and boiled phases. The study successfully identified key toxic ingredients such as strychnine and brucine in S. nux-vomica and betulinic acid and phenolic compounds in D. montana. These compounds exhibited constituent’s pattern in both the degraded and simulated sample types. Our dataset provides a useful reference for forensic toxicology laboratories in cases involving plant-based poisonings, especially when the forensic evidence is retrieved in traces or degraded state.