Starch granules, dental calculus and new perspectives on ancient diet

2009 ◽  
Vol 36 (2) ◽  
pp. 248-255 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karen Hardy ◽  
Tony Blakeney ◽  
Les Copeland ◽  
Jennifer Kirkham ◽  
Richard Wrangham ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Starch Granules ◽  
Dental Calculus ◽  
Ancient Diet

scholarly journals Lifestyle of a Roman Imperial community: ethnobotanical evidence from dental calculus of the Ager Curensis inhabitants

2019 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Alessia D’Agostino ◽  
Angelo Gismondi ◽  
Gabriele Di Marco ◽  
Mauro Lo Castro ◽  
Rosaria Olevano ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Juglans Regia ◽  
Central Italy ◽  
Population Based ◽  
Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry ◽  
Starch Granules ◽  
Dental Calculus ◽  
Cultural Traditions ◽  
Hemp Fibers ◽  
Animal Resources

Abstract Background The analysis of ancient calcified dental plaque is a powerful archaeobotanical method to elucidate the key role of the plants in human history. Methods In this research, by applying both optic microscopy and gas chromatography mass spectrometry on this matrix, a detailed qualitative investigation for reconstructing the lifestyle of a Roman imperial community of the Ager Curensis (Sabina Tiberina, Central Italy) was performed. Results The detection of animal micro-remains and molecules (e.g., hairs, feather barbules, markers of dairy products), starch granules of several cereals and legumes, pollen (e.g., Juglans regia L., Hedera sp. L.) and other plant micro-debris (e.g., trichome of Olea sp., hemp fibers), and phytochemicals (e.g., Brassicaceae, Lamiaceae herbs, Ferula sp., Trigonella foenum-graecum L., wine, and Humulus lupulus L.) in the dental calculus sample demonstrated that plant-derived foods were regularly consumed together with animal resources. Conclusions This nutritional plan, consistent with the information reported in ancient written texts, suggested that the studied population based its own subsistence on both agriculture and husbandry, probably also including beekeeping and hunting activities. All together, these results represent proofs for the comprehension of food habits, phytotherapeutic practices, and cultural traditions of one of the first Roman settlements in the Sabina Tiberina area.

Doctors, chefs or hominin animals? Non-edible plants and Neanderthals

Antiquity ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 90 (353) ◽  
pp. 1373-1379 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karen Hardy ◽  
Stephen Buckley ◽  
Michael Huffman
Keyword(s):  
Stomach Contents ◽  
Wood Smoke ◽  
Edible Plants ◽  
Starch Granules ◽  
Dental Calculus ◽  
Self Medication ◽  
Original Proposal ◽  
Alternative Scenarios ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Conifer Wood

In 2013, Hardyet al.offered a broad behavioural context for the hypothesis that the ingestion of non-nutritional plants (yarrow and camomile) by Neanderthals was for the purpose of self-medication. Chemical traces of these plants had been detected in samples of dental calculus from Neanderthals at the site of El Sidrón, Spain, along with traces of bitumen and wood smoke, as well as starch granules that showed evidence of roasting (Hardyet al.2012). Subsequently, the presence of traces of resin and a piece of non-edible conifer wood were also identified from these samples (Radiniet al.2016). Although not rejecting our interpretation for the presence of these two non-edible plants as evidence of medicinal plant use, two recent articles offer alternative scenarios for why and how those plants may have reached the mouth and, eventually, the dental calculus of the individual concerned. Buck and Stringer (2014) suggest that the plants were not deliberately ingested, and that the traces of yarrow and camomile were in fact embedded in the chyme, or stomach contents, of herbivore prey. Kriefet al.(2015) propose two hypotheses: first, they suggest that the plants could have been used to flavour meat; second, while not ruling out the possibility that they could be medicinal, they argue on a technical point that the plants were not self-administered but were provided by a caregiver. Here, we examine these suggestions and consider their probability and feasibility as alternatives to our original proposal of self-medication.

scholarly journals Investigating Biases Associated with Dietary Starch Incorporation and Retention with an Oral Biofilm Model

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bjørn Peare Bartholdy ◽  
Amanda G Henry
Keyword(s):  
Dietary Habits ◽  
Growth Period ◽  
Dry Weight ◽  
Starch Granules ◽  
Dental Calculus ◽  
Oral Biofilm ◽  
Biofilm Model ◽  
Wide Range

Dental calculus has proven to contain a wealth of information on the dietary habits of past populations. These insights have, to a large extent, been obtained by the extraction and identification of starch granules contained within the mineralised dental plaque from a wide range of regions and time periods. The scope of previous studies have been limited to microfossil extraction and identification to reconstruct dietary preferences from the archaeological record, and few studies have attempted to address the biases of starch retention in dental calculus. Those that have considered this problem have been limited to in vivo studies on modern humans and non-human primates. Here, we present a multispecies oral biofilm model, which allows experimental research on starch incorporation and retention to be conducted on in vitro dental calculus in a controlled laboratory setting. The biofilms were exposed to treatment solutions with known quantities of dietary starches (wheat and potato) during the 25-day growth period. After this, the starch granules were extracted from the mature biofilm (by dissolution in EDTA), and counted. We show that the granule counts extracted from the model dental calculus represented a low proportion (ranging from 0.06% to 0.16%) of the total number of granules exposed to the biofilms throughout the experiment. Additionally, we found that the ratios of granule sizes from the extracted starch granules differed from the original treatment solutions, with large granules (>20 μm) consistently being under-represented. We also found a correlation between the absolute granule counts and dry-weight of the biofilm (r = 0.66, 90%CI[0.46,0.79]), as well as between the concentration (count per mg) of granules and dry-weight (r = 0.30, 90%CI[0.06,0.51]). Our results reinforce previous in vivo studies suggesting that dental calculus presents a very small, and partly biased picture of the original dietary intake of starches, with an over-representation of plants producing granules smaller than 20 μm in size. The experimental model presented here is well-suited to address the need for further validation of methods and biases associated with dietary research on dental calculus.

scholarly journals Structural characterization and decontamination of dental calculus for ancient starch research

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Soto ◽  
Jamie Inwood ◽  
Siobhan Clarke ◽  
Alison Crowther ◽  
Danielle Covelli ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Structural Characterization ◽  
Surface Characterization ◽  
Spectroscopic Analysis ◽  
Complete Removal ◽  
Chemical Degradation ◽  
Starch Granules ◽  
Dental Calculus ◽  
The Matrix ◽  
Permanent Loss ◽  
Structural Surface

Ancient dental calculus research currently relies on destructive techniques whereby archaeological specimens are broken down to determine their contents. Two strategies that could partly remediate a permanent loss of the original sample and enhance future analysis and reproducibility include: 1) structural surface characterization through spectroscopy along with crystallographic and spectroscopic analysis of its molecular structure, and 2) surface decontamination protocols in which the efficacy of cleaning dental calculus prior to extraction is demonstrated. Dental calculus provides ancient starch research a niche where granules may be adsorbed to minerals, coated, overgrown, entrapped, and/or protected from chemical degradation. While encapsulation offers protection from degradation, it does not shield the sample’s surface from contamination. The most common approach to retrieving microbotanical particles from archaeological calculus has been the direct decalcification of the sample, after a cleaning stage variously consisting of immersion in water, acids, and mechanical dislodgment via gas, sonication, and/or toothbrushes. Little is known about the efficiency of these methods for a complete removal of sediment/soil and unrelated microbotanical matter. In this paper, controlled laboratory experimentation leads to chemical structural characterization and a decontamination protocol to eradicate starch granules. Several concentrations of acids, bases, and enzymes were tested at intervals to understand their potential to gelatinize and fully destroy starch granules; arriving at a procedure that effectively eradicates modern starch prior to dissolution without damaging the matrix or entrapped starch microremains. This is the first attempt at creating synthetic calculus to understand and systematically test effective decontamination protocols for ancient starch research.

An Electron Diffraction Study on Litnerized Potato Starch

1990 ◽  
Vol 48 (1) ◽  
pp. 580-581
Author(s):  
Jean-Claude Jésior ◽  
Roger Vuong ◽  
Henri Chanzy
Keyword(s):  
Electron Microscope ◽  
Electron Diffraction ◽  
Signal To Noise Ratio ◽  
Potato Starch ◽  
Image Intensifier ◽  
Electron Diffraction Study ◽  
Starch Granules ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Individual Grains ◽  
Diamond Knife

Starch is arranged in a crystalline manner within its storage granules and should thus give sharp X-ray diagrams. Unfortunately most of the common starch granules have sizes between 1 and 100μm, making them too small for an X-ray study on individual grains. There is only one instance where an oriented X-ray diagram could be obtained on one sector of an individual giant starch granule. Despite their small size, starch granules are still too thick to be studied by electron diffraction with a transmission electron microscope. The only reported study on starch ultrastructure using electron diffraction on frozen hydrated material was made on small fragments. The present study has been realized on thin sectioned granules previously litnerized to improve the signal to noise ratio.Potato starch was hydrolyzed for 10 days in 2.2N HCl at 35°C, dialyzed against water until neutrality and embedded in Nanoplast. Sectioning was achieved with a commercially available low-angle “35°” diamond knife (Diatome) after a very carefull trimming and a pre-sectioning with a classical “45°” diamond knife. Sections obtained at a final sectioning angle of 42.2° (compared with the usual 55-60°) and at a nominal thickness of 900Å were collected on a Formvar-carbon coated grid. The exact location of the starch granules in their sections was recorded by optical microscopy on a Zeiss Universal polarizing microscope (Fig. 1a). After rehydration at a relative humidity of 95% for 24 hours they were mounted on a Philips cryoholder and quench frozen in liquid nitrogen before being inserted under frozen conditions in a Philips EM 400T electron microscope equipped with a Gatan anticontaminator and a Lhesa image intensifier.

Pengoptimalan Air Leri dalam Pembuatan Sabun Pembersih Wajah Alami yang Ekonomis

2017 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rahmawati Rahmawati ◽  
Trimayasari Trimayasari ◽  
Ghozali Akhmad Mustaqim ◽  
Wening Dwi Prastiwi ◽  
Emas Agus Prastyo Wibowo
Keyword(s):  
Amino Acids ◽  
Fine Particles ◽  
Hard Water ◽  
Essential Amino Acids ◽  
Ultraviolet Rays ◽  
Starch Granules ◽  
Facial Skin ◽  
Skin Cells ◽  
The Face ◽  
Made In

AbstractSoap facial cleanser is needed to keep the facial skin to keep them clean and healthy. The purpose of this study to make soap cleanser with natural materials such as hard water deposits leri. This is because the use of leri water starch or starch granules of fine particles contained in water leri dansel dust can shed the dead skin on the face because of the essential amino acids contained can regenerate skin cells. In addition, water leri can brighten the face because the leri water oryzanol contain substances that can update the development and formation of the pigment melanin, which is effectively to ward off ultraviolet rays. The process of making soap using the principle of saponification reaction, namely the reaction between the oil and the KOH/NaOH. Facial cleansing soap made in this study is solid soap. Based on the results of quality test, soap solid leri water has a pH of 11.1, saponification number is 33, the water content of 46% as well as respondents to the test aspects of aroma and foam shows good results so this water leri treatment can be an alternative solution to prevent the use of soap facial cleansers that contain harmful chemicals. Keywords: air leri, soap cleanser, saponification  AbstrakSabun pembersih wajah sangat diperlukan untuk menjaga kulit wajah agar tetap bersih dan sehat. Tujuan dari penelitian ini untuk membuat sabun pembersih wajah dengan bahan alami berupa endapan air leri. Penggunaan air leri ini dikarenakan butiran partikel starch atau pati halus yang terdapat dalam air leri dapat merontokkan debu dansel kulit mati pada wajah karena asam amino esensial yang terkandung dapat meregenerasi sel-sel kulit. Selain itu, air leri dapat mencerahkan wajah karena air leri mengandung zat oryzanol yang dapat memperbarui perkembangan dan pembentukan pigmen melanin, yang efektif guna menangkal sinar ultraviolet. Proses pembuatan sabun menggunakan prinsip reaksi saponifikasi, yaitu reaksi antara minyak dan KOH/NaOH. Sabun pembersih wajah yang dibuat dalam penelitian ini ialah sabun padat. Berdasarkan hasil uji mutu, sabun air leri padat memiliki pH 11,1, angka penyabunan sebesar 33 kadar air 46 kadar air 46 % serta uji responden terhadap aspek aroma dan busa yang menunjukkan hasil cukup baik sehingga pengolahan air leri ini dapat menjadi solusi alternative untuk mencegah penggunaan sabun pembersih wajah yang mengandung bahan kimia berbahaya. Kata kunci: air leri, sabun pembersih wajah, saponifikasi 

Histological Study on the Effects of Dental Calculus to Cementum

1978 ◽  
Vol 20 (4) ◽  
pp. 669-689
Author(s):  
Shohei HIGASHI ◽  
Tetsuo KODAKA ◽  
Miyuki KOBAYASHI ◽  
Tetsuko IMURA ◽  
Hiroaki NAKAGAWA
Keyword(s):  
Histological Study ◽  
Dental Calculus

The importance of stock herding and dairying in the Neolithic Balkans and the subsistence diversity

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Darko Stojanovski ◽  
Ivana Živaljević ◽  
Vesna Dimitrijević ◽  
Julie Dunne ◽  
Richard Evershed ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Milk Proteins ◽  
Domestic Animal ◽  
Dental Calculus ◽  
Isotopic Study ◽  
Radiocarbon Dates ◽  
The Balkans ◽  
Animal Remains ◽  
New Information ◽  
Archaeological Materials ◽  
Ceramic Vessels

The application of biomolecular techniques to archaeological materials from the Balkans is providing valuable new information on the prehistory of the region. This is especially relevant for the study of the neolithisation process in SE Europe, which gradually affected the rest of the continent. Here, to answer questions regarding diet and subsistence practices in early farming societies, we combine organic residue analyses of archaeological pottery, taxonomic and isotopic study of domestic animal remains and biomolecular analyses of human dental calculus. The results from the analyses of the lipid residues from pottery suggest that milk was processed in ceramic vessels. Dairy products were shown to be part of the subsistence strategies of the earliest Neolithic communities in the region but were of varying importance in different areas of the Balkan. On the other hand, we did not confidently detect any milk proteins within the dental calculus. The molecular and isotopic identification of meat, dairy, plants and beeswax in the pottery lipids also provided insights into the diversity of diet in these early Neolithic communities. We also present the first compound-specific radiocarbon dates for the region, obtained directly on absorbed organic residues extracted from pottery, identified as dairy lipids.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document