Archaeometabolomics characterizes phenotypic differences in human cortical bone at a molecular level relating to tobacco use.

Tobacco consumption affects human health, but no studies have investigated its effect on the bone metabolome, or if any changes are traceable after long postmortem intervals. Human osteoarchaeological remains preserve small molecules, making them valuable for studies that aim to examine past conditions. We test if there are molecular differences in the metabolome of cortical bone between archaeological individuals who used tobacco and those who did not, and if these differences are distinct enough to assign tobacco use status to individuals with unknown tobacco use. Cortical bone of 323 known and unknown tobacco users was studied by an untargeted metabolomics assay using a liquid chromatography-high-resolution mass spectrometry platform. We identified 45 discriminating molecular features that differed between tobacco consumers (15 up-regulated features) and nonconsumers (17 up-regulated features). Tobacco consumption leaves a metabolic record in human bone distinctive enough to identify its use in individuals of unknown tobacco consumption. Future work will validate molecular features relating to tobacco consumption.

Examination of human osteoarchaeological remains as a feasible source of polar and apolar metabolites to study past conditions.

Metabolomics is a modern tool that aids in our understanding of the molecular changes in organisms. Archaeological science is a branch of archaeology that explores different archaeological materials using modern analytical tools. Human osteoarchaeological material are a frequent finding in archaeological contexts and have the potential to offer information about previous human populations, which can be illuminating about our current condition. Using a set of samples comprising different skeletal elements and bone structures, here we explore for the first time the possibility of extracting metabolites from osteoarchaeological material. Here, a protocol for extraction and measurement of extracted polar and less-polar/apolar metabolites by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography hyphenated to high resolution mass spectrometry is presented to measure the molecules separated after a reversed phase and hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography column. Molecular information was obtained, showing that osteoarchaeological material is a viable source of molecular information for metabolomic studies.

Ancient dental calculus preserves signatures of biofilm succession and interindividual variation independent of dental pathology.

Dental calculus preserves oral microbes, enabling comparative studies of the oral microbiome and health through time. However, small sample sizes and limited dental health metadata have hindered health-focused investigations to date. Here, we investigate the relationship between tobacco pipe smoking and dental calculus microbiomes. Dental calculus from 75 individuals from the 19th century Middenbeemster skeletal collection (Netherlands) were analyzed by metagenomics. Demographic and dental health parameters were systematically recorded, including the presence/number of pipe notches. Comparative data sets from European populations before and after the introduction of tobacco were also analyzed. Calculus species profiles were compared with oral pathology to examine associations between microbiome community, smoking behavior, and oral health status. The Middenbeemster individuals exhibited relatively poor oral health, with a high prevalence of periodontal disease, caries, heavy calculus deposits, and antemortem tooth loss. No associations between pipe notches and dental pathologies, or microbial species composition, were found. Calculus samples before and after the introduction of tobacco showed highly similar species profiles. Observed interindividual microbiome differences were consistent with previously described variation in human populations from the Upper Paleolithic to the present. Dental calculus may not preserve microbial indicators of health and disease status as distinctly as dental plaque.