The detection of nicotine in a Late Mayan period flask by gas chromatography and liquid chromatography mass spectrometry methods.
Rapid Commun Mass Spectrom
; 26(4): 403-11, 2012 Feb 29.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-22279016
ABSTRACT
Several ancient Mayan vessels from the Kislak Collection of the US Library of Congress were examined for the presence of alkaloids. One of them, a codex-style flask, bears a text that appears to read yo-'OTOT-ti 'u-MAY, spelling y-otoot 'u-may 'the home of its/his/her tobacco'. Samples extracted from this Late Classic period (600 to 900 AD) container were analyzed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) and liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC/MS) methods. Nicotine was identified as the major component of the extracts. LC/MS analyses also yielded signals due to nicotine mono-oxides. The identities of the compounds were determined by comparison of the chromatographic and/or mass spectral characteristics with those from standards and literature data. High-resolution high mass accuracy tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) spectra of protonated nicotine and nicotine mono-oxides were measured to verify and to correct previous product ion assignments. These analyses provided positive evidence for nicotine from a Mayan vessel, indicating it as a likely holder of tobacco leafs. The result of this investigation is the first physical evidence of tobacco from a Mayan container, and only the second example where the vessel content recorded in a Mayan hieroglyphic text has been confirmed directly by chromatography/mass spectrometry trace analysis.
Texto completo:
1
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Arte
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Indígenas Centro-Americanos
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Utensílios de Alimentação e Culinária
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Cromatografia Gasosa-Espectrometria de Massas
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Nicotina
Idioma:
En
Ano de publicação:
2012
Tipo de documento:
Article