Post-mortem alterations of human lipids — part I: evaluation of adipocere formation and mummification by desiccation

Bereuter, Thomas; Lorbeer, Eberhard; Reiter, Christian; Seidler, Horst; Unterdorfer, H

doi:10.1007/978-3-7091-6565-2_25

Cited by 22 publications

(18 citation statements)

References 3 publications

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“…These Late Neolithic remains recovered in 1991 from the Tyrolean Alps date from between 3350 and 3100 BC [2]. Chemical analysis suggested some exposure to water [79] and possible adipocere formation on the inner side of skin, associated with other forms of preservation [2,35].…”

Section: Persistencementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Variously referred to as grave wax or corpse wax [1][2][3][4] this tenacious material has been documented in a variety of contexts and has served as the focus of considerable research. Through experimentation, case analysis and observation much has been learned about its external morphology, chemical composition, mechanisms of formation and the timing of its development and eventual degradation.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Adipocere: What is known after over two centuries of research

Ubelaker

Zarenko

2011

Forensic Science International

103

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Section: Persistencementioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Adipocere: What is known after over two centuries of research

Ubelaker

Zarenko

2011

Forensic Science International

103

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“…A comparison of the analytical procedures used in the literature is summarized in Table 7. In order to extract lipids, n-hexane was used in several studies (Bereuter et al, 1996a;Mayer, Reiter, & Bereuter, 1997). As a more polar solvent, chloroform:methanol (2:1) has been used (Gülacar, Buchs, & Susini, 1989;Buckley, Stott, & Evershed, 1999) as well as ethyl ether:ethanol (3:1) (Takatori & Yamaoka,FIGURE 9.…”

Section: A Sample Preparation For Gc-msmentioning

confidence: 99%

Exploration of anthropological specimens by GC‐MS and chemometrics

Вармуза

Makristathis

Schwarzmeier

et al. 2004

Mass Spectrometry Reviews

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Anthropological specimens combine a variety of unfavorable characteristics, rendering their evaluation an analytical challenge. Their remarkable status is primarily based on two characteristics: (i) these very rare samples of human origin are testimonies of human history and are, therefore, available only in minute amounts for analytical purposes, and (ii) the analysis of these samples is extremely limited by the decomposition of molecules, which are easily detected in living organisms, such as nucleic acids and proteins, but are subject to rapid post-mortem decay. In this article, we review the methods and results of archaeometry, emphasizing the role of MS combined with chemometrics. Focusing on experimental results for fatty acid profiles, specimens from mummies from different civilizations were compared. Considering in particular the Tyrolean Iceman, the application of chemometric methods to GC-MS data recovers essential information about the preservation and the storage conditions of mummies.

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“…In chronological order, these are 1) autolysis and bacterial activity (biological destruction; gram-negative bacteria were observed in the digestive tract and within the lumen of a Haversian canal of rib bone); 2) freeze/thaw-damage, i.e., (intra)cellular ice crystallization, which causes membrane disruption and, in turn, confluence of (sub)cellular compartments (physical destruction); and 3) transformation of molecules into adipocere (chemical destruction; note: the mechanisms that account for this phenomenon, which has been known for centuries, are still enigmatic in detail; for reviews, see Bereuter et al, 1996a;Mayer et al, 1997). These destructive forces act in a cumulative way (in this context, see also Andreasen et al, 1991).…”

Section: Hypotheses Dealing With the Tissue-specific Preservation Patmentioning

confidence: 99%

Histological investigations on the Tyrolean Ice Man

Hess

Klima

Pfaller

et al. 1998

Am. J. Phys. Anthropol.

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The 5,200-year-old Tyrolean Ice Man discovered in 1991 in the Otztal Alps is the world's most ancient known human glacier mummy. Histological investigation was aimed at 1) optimizing specimen preparation and 2) documenting the preservation state of (sub)cellular components. Minute pieces of frozen tissue were removed endoscopically from rib bone and cartilage, major blood vessels, oral cavity and alimentary tract, liver, spleen, diaphragm, respiratory system, femoral muscle and nerve, sympathetic trunk, brain, and skin. Double fixation with glutaraldehyde followed by osmium tetroxide and embedding in Epon/Araldite epoxy resins proved to be the method of choice for both light and transmission electron microscopy combined with classical histochemistry. In particular, mild evacuation of the desiccated tissue was determined to be essential to ensure homogeneous infiltration with fixatives and resins; as a result, sections of excellent quality could be obtained with any kind of sample. With regard to the preservation degree of (sub)cellular components, distinct tissue-specific patterns were observed. There were highly intact skeletal and connective tissues proper, however, most interestingly, there were remarkably intact nervous tissue components as well. By contrast, epithelial, muscle, and reticular connective tissues as well as blood had generally disintegrated due to autolysis, freeze/thaw damage, and adipocere formation. For a tentative interpretation of these patterns, we considered general aspects of cryopreservation, such as physicochemical properties of subcellular constituents and tissue physiology.

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Post-mortem alterations of human lipids — part I: evaluation of adipocere formation and mummification by desiccation

Cited by 22 publications

References 3 publications

Adipocere: What is known after over two centuries of research

Adipocere: What is known after over two centuries of research

Exploration of anthropological specimens by GC‐MS and chemometrics

Histological investigations on the Tyrolean Ice Man

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