Dental calculus as a source of ancient alkaloids: Detection of nicotine by LC-MS in calculus samples from the Americas. (April 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Eerkens, Jelmer W.; Tushingham, Shannon; Brownstein, Korey J.; Garibay, Ramona; Perez, Katherine; Murga, Engel; Kaijankoski, Phil; Rosenthal, Jeffrey S.; Gang, David R.
• Is Part Of: Journal of archaeological science. Volume 18(2018)
• Page Start: 509
• Page End: 515
• Publication Date: 2018-04
• Subjects: Archaeology -- Periodicals; Archaeology -- Research -- Periodicals; 930.1
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jasrep.2018.02.004
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2352-409X

Abstract

Abstract: Dental calculus has been shown to be a repository of a variety of exogenous organic materials, including bacterial DNA, proteins, phytoliths, and starch grains. Here we show that certain alkaloids, nicotine in this case, can also be trapped and preserved in ancient dental calculus. We present Ultra-Performance Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (UPLC-MS) results of analyses of ten archaeological calculus samples from eight individuals from Central California. Two samples tested positive for the presence of nicotine, including one from an individual buried with a pipe. UPLC-MS analyses of dental calculus could provide an alternative means to trace the spread and consumption of tobacco and other plants with distinctive alkaloid products in ancient societies. As shown here for the first time in ancient samples, the ability to detect nicotine alkaloids in calculus has enormous potential to help us better understand the consumption of intoxicant plants by ancient humans on the individual level, for example by giving us the ability to test assumptions about the age, sex, and status of individual tobacco users in the past. Highlights: Recovery of nicotine from archaeological dental calculus Ability to associate ancient tobacco use with particular individuals One adult male, one older female from pre-contact site in California test positive Method facilitates tracing ancient spread and antiquity of tobacco use in Americas