COMPARATIVE FORENSIC ANALYSIS OF MULTIPLE BIOLOGICAL SAMPLESUSING VNTR PROFILING

While blood samples consistently provide high-quality DNA, saliva and hair present unique challenges related to DNA yield, inhibitors, and degradation, necessitating specialised extraction and analysis strategies. This review paper assesses the effectiveness and applicability of Variable Number Tandem Repeat (VNTR) profiling across diverse biological samples, including blood, saliva, and hair, for forensic individual identification and criminal investigations. The report explains the fundamental principles of VNTR profiling, outlines the standardised protocols for DNA extraction from each sample type, and compares the quality and reproducibility of the generated DNA fingerprints in terms of DNA yield, amplification success, and band clarity.The development and widespread use of more sophisticated techniques like Short Tandem Repeat (STR) analysis, mitochondrial DNA (mt-DNA) analysis, and Y-chromosome STRs (Y-STRs) were made possible by the drawbacks of VNTR profiling, especially its need for large, undamaged DNA samples and time-consuming procedures. Even though they were eventually superseded, VNTRs set important precedents for DNA evidence in the court system, both scientifically and legally.