Cholesterol degradation in archaeological pottery mediated by fired clay and fatty acid pro-oxidants

Simon Hammann; Lucy Cramp; Mathilda  Whittle; Richard Evershed

doi:10.1016/j.tetlet.2018.10.071

Cholesterol degradation in archaeological pottery mediated by fired clay and fatty acid pro-oxidants

Simon Hammann, Lucy Cramp, Mathilda Whittle, Richard Evershed

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Abstract

Cholesterol is generally absent in animal fat residues preserved in archaeological ceramic vessels. It is known from edible oil refining that during bleaching with activated clay sterols are degraded, largely via oxidation. Laboratory heating experiments using fired clay from replica pottery vessels promoted rapid degradation of cholesterol via oxidation. Furthermore, heating cholesterol with fatty acids (saturated and unsaturated) revealed additional degradation to occur independently of the ceramic matrix. As both conditions are met in archaeological pottery during animal (and plant) product processing involving heating, the very rare detection of sterols in organic residues can be explained.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	4401-4404
Number of pages	4
Journal	Tetrahedron Letters
Volume	59
Issue number	50
Early online date	31 Oct 2018
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tetlet.2018.10.071
Publication status	Published - 12 Dec 2018

Keywords

cholesterol;
fatty acids
archaeology
degradation
clay
organic residue

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10.1016/j.tetlet.2018.10.071

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This is the accepted author manuscript (AAM). The final published version (version of record) is available online via Elsevier at DOI: 10.1016/j.tetlet.2018.10.071. Please refer to any applicable terms of use of the publisher.
Accepted author manuscript, 437 KBLicence: CC BY-NC-ND

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title = "Cholesterol degradation in archaeological pottery mediated by fired clay and fatty acid pro-oxidants",

abstract = "Cholesterol is generally absent in animal fat residues preserved in archaeological ceramic vessels. It is known from edible oil refining that during bleaching with activated clay sterols are degraded, largely via oxidation. Laboratory heating experiments using fired clay from replica pottery vessels promoted rapid degradation of cholesterol via oxidation. Furthermore, heating cholesterol with fatty acids (saturated and unsaturated) revealed additional degradation to occur independently of the ceramic matrix. As both conditions are met in archaeological pottery during animal (and plant) product processing involving heating, the very rare detection of sterols in organic residues can be explained. ",

keywords = "cholesterol;, fatty acids, archaeology, degradation, clay, organic residue",

author = "Simon Hammann and Lucy Cramp and Mathilda Whittle and Richard Evershed",

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doi = "10.1016/j.tetlet.2018.10.071",

language = "English",

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T1 - Cholesterol degradation in archaeological pottery mediated by fired clay and fatty acid pro-oxidants

AU - Hammann, Simon

AU - Cramp, Lucy

AU - Whittle, Mathilda

AU - Evershed, Richard

PY - 2018/12/12

Y1 - 2018/12/12

N2 - Cholesterol is generally absent in animal fat residues preserved in archaeological ceramic vessels. It is known from edible oil refining that during bleaching with activated clay sterols are degraded, largely via oxidation. Laboratory heating experiments using fired clay from replica pottery vessels promoted rapid degradation of cholesterol via oxidation. Furthermore, heating cholesterol with fatty acids (saturated and unsaturated) revealed additional degradation to occur independently of the ceramic matrix. As both conditions are met in archaeological pottery during animal (and plant) product processing involving heating, the very rare detection of sterols in organic residues can be explained.

AB - Cholesterol is generally absent in animal fat residues preserved in archaeological ceramic vessels. It is known from edible oil refining that during bleaching with activated clay sterols are degraded, largely via oxidation. Laboratory heating experiments using fired clay from replica pottery vessels promoted rapid degradation of cholesterol via oxidation. Furthermore, heating cholesterol with fatty acids (saturated and unsaturated) revealed additional degradation to occur independently of the ceramic matrix. As both conditions are met in archaeological pottery during animal (and plant) product processing involving heating, the very rare detection of sterols in organic residues can be explained.

KW - cholesterol;

KW - fatty acids

KW - archaeology

KW - degradation

KW - clay

KW - organic residue

U2 - 10.1016/j.tetlet.2018.10.071

DO - 10.1016/j.tetlet.2018.10.071

M3 - Article (Academic Journal)

SN - 0040-4039

VL - 59

SP - 4401

EP - 4404

JO - Tetrahedron Letters

JF - Tetrahedron Letters

IS - 50

ER -

Cholesterol degradation in archaeological pottery mediated by fired clay and fatty acid pro-oxidants

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Keywords

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