Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33574393›Full record

ArticleScientific reports2021

Bile acids and oxo-metabolites as markers of human faecal input in the ancient Pompeii ruins.

Emanuele Porru, Enrico Giorgi, Silvia Turroni, Riccardo Helg, Michele Silani, Marco Candela, Jessica Fiori, Aldo Roda

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Scientific reports, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
1.0field-weighted citation impact, top 27% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed, 10 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.

Emanuele PorruDepartment of Chemistry "G. Ciamician", University of Bologna, via Selmi 2, 40126, Bologna, Italy.
Enrico GiorgiDepartment of History and Cultures, University of Bologna, 40124, Bologna, Italy.
Silvia TurroniDepartment of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, University of Bologna, Via Belmeloro 6, 40126, Bologna, Italy.
Riccardo HelgDepartment of History and Cultures, University of Bologna, 40124, Bologna, Italy.
Michele SilaniDepartment of Humanities and Cultural Heritage, University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", 81055, Santa Maria Capua Vetere (CE), Italy.
Marco CandelaDepartment of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, University of Bologna, Via Belmeloro 6, 40126, Bologna, Italy.
Jessica FioriDepartment of Chemistry "G. Ciamician", University of Bologna, via Selmi 2, 40126, Bologna, Italy. jessica.fiori@unibo.it.
Aldo RodaDepartment of Chemistry "G. Ciamician", University of Bologna, via Selmi 2, 40126, Bologna, Italy.
University of Bologna · ITIstituto Nazionale Biostrutture e Biosistemi · ITUniversity of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli" · IT

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Small organic molecules, lipids, proteins, and DNA fragments can remain stable over centuries. Powerful and sensitive chemical analysis can therefore be used to characterize ancient remains for classical archaeological studies. This bio-ecological dimension of archaeology can contribute knowledge about several aspects of ancient life, including social organization, daily habits, nutrition, and food storage. Faecal remains (i.e. coprolites) are particularly interesting in this regard, with scientists seeking to identify new faecal markers. Here, we report the analysis of faecal samples from modern-day humans and faecal samples from a discharge pit on the site of the ruins of ancient Pompeii. We propose that bile acids and their gut microbiota oxo-metabolites are the most specific steroid markers for detecting faecal inputs. This is due to their extreme chemical stability and their exclusive occurrence in vertebrate faeces, compared to other ubiquitous sterols and steroids.

Indexed as

ArchaeologyBile Acids and SaltsBody RemainsDNADNA, AncientFecesHumansLipidsMetabolomeProteinsBile Acids and SaltsDNADNA, AncientLipidsProteins

Identifiers

PMID33574393
PMCPMC7878498
OpenAlexW3126825459

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.