Bile acids and oxo-metabolites as markers of human faecal input in the ancient Pompeii ruins

被引：0
作者：
Emanuele Porru
Enrico Giorgi
Silvia Turroni
Riccardo Helg
Michele Silani
Marco Candela
Jessica Fiori
Aldo Roda
机构：
[1] University of Bologna,Department of Chemistry “G. Ciamician”
[2] University of Bologna,Department of History and Cultures
[3] University of Bologna,Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology
[4] University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”,Department of Humanities and Cultural Heritage
[5] University of Bologna,Interdepartmental Center for Industrial Research
[6] INBB-Biostructures and Biosystems National Institute,CIRI
来源：
Scientific Reports | / 11卷
关键词：
D O I：
暂无
中图分类号：
学科分类号：
摘要：
Small organic molecules, lipids, proteins, and DNA fragments can remain stable over centuries. Powerful and sensitive chemical analysis can therefore be used to characterize ancient remains for classical archaeological studies. This bio-ecological dimension of archaeology can contribute knowledge about several aspects of ancient life, including social organization, daily habits, nutrition, and food storage. Faecal remains (i.e. coprolites) are particularly interesting in this regard, with scientists seeking to identify new faecal markers. Here, we report the analysis of faecal samples from modern-day humans and faecal samples from a discharge pit on the site of the ruins of ancient Pompeii. We propose that bile acids and their gut microbiota oxo-metabolites are the most specific steroid markers for detecting faecal inputs. This is due to their extreme chemical stability and their exclusive occurrence in vertebrate faeces, compared to other ubiquitous sterols and steroids.
引用
收藏
相关论文
共 72 条
[1]  
Dallongeville S(2016)Proteins in art, archaeology, and paleontology: From detection to identification Chem. Rev. 116 2-79
[2]  
Garnier N(2010)Next generation sequencing of ancient DNA: Requirements, strategies and perspectives Genes 1 227-243
[3]  
Rolando C(2011)Analytical strategies for discriminating archeological fatty substances from animal origin Mass Spectrom. Rev. 30 177-220
[4]  
Tokarski C(2013)Identifying wine markers in ceramics and plasters using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. Experimental and archaeological materials J. Archaeol. Sci. 40 109-115
[5]  
Knapp M(1991)Molecular archaeology: Analysis of charred (food) remains from prehistoric pottery by pyrolysis—Gas chromatography/mass spectrometry J. Anal. Appl. Pyrolysis 20 197-227
[6]  
Hofreiter M(2012)The ‘invisible’ product: Developing markers for identifying dung in archaeological contexts J. Archaeol. Sci. 39 953-963
[7]  
Regert M(2002)Analyses of coprolites produced by carnivorous vertebrates Paleontol. Soc. Pap. 8 43-50
[8]  
Pecci A(2003)Dinosaur coprolites from the Late Cretaceous (Maastrichtian) lameta formation of india: Isotopic and other markers suggesting a C3 plant diet Cretac. Res. 24 743-750
[9]  
Giorgi G(2017)Steroid biomarkers revisited—Improved source identification of faecal remains in archaeological soil material PLoS ONE 2 1709-1714
[10]  
Salvini L(2018)Demosponge steroid biomarker 26-methylstigmastane provides evidence for Neoproterozoic animals Nat. Ecol. Evol. 84 e00235–18-81
12345678