Metabolomics-based analysis of miniature flask contents identifies tobacco mixture use among the ancient Maya

Abstract

A particular type of miniature ceramic vessel locally known as “veneneras” is occasionally found during archaeological excavations in the Maya Area. To date, only one study of a collection of such containers successfully identified organic residues through coupled chromatography–mass spectrometry methods. That study identified traces of nicotine likely associated with tobacco. Here we present a more complete picture by analyzing a suite of possible complementary ingredients in tobacco mixtures across a collection of 14 miniature vessels. The collection includes four different vessel forms and allows for the comparison of specimens which had previously formed part of museum exhibitions with recently excavated, untreated containers. Archaeological samples were compared with fresh as well as cured reference materials from two different species of tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum and N. rustica). In addition, we sampled six more plants which are linked to mind-altering practices through Mesoamerican ethnohistoric or ethnographic records. Analyses were conducted using UPLC-MS metabolomics-based analytical techniques, which significantly expand the possible detection of chemical compounds compared to previous biomarker-focused studies. Results include the detection of more than 9000 residual chemical features. We trace, for the first time, the presence of Mexican marigold (Tagetes lucida) in presumptive polydrug mixtures.

Indigenous-Amazonian Traditional Medicine’s Usage of the Tobacco Plant: A Transdisciplinary Ethnopsychological Mixed-Methods Case Study

“…It suggests that tobacco, like psilocybin, MDMA, or LSD—all currently studied as promising clinical tools but previously seen as inevitably toxic [ 47 , 48 , 132 , 133 , 134 , 135 , 136 ]—should be further investigated for therapeutic potentials. Indeed, unlike MDMA or LSD, tobacco possesses a millennia-old history of therapeutic use in Indigenous American cultures [ 7 , 19 , 83 , 137 , 138 , 139 ]; a fresh look at the tobacco plant in close collaboration with traditional healers knowledgeable in its medical application is thus warranted.…”

“…However, it is particularly in Amazonian traditional healing that tobacco is fundamental; so fundamental that in various Indigenous languages the generic term for ‘healer’ is etymologically linked to the word for ‘tobacco’, for instance in the Yuracaré language, where korrë-n-chata (‘healer’) literally translates as ‘he who eats tobacco’; or in the Asháninka and Matsigenga languages, where the term for healer ( sheripiari and seripigari , respectively) translates as ‘the one intoxicated by tobacco’ [ 8 , 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 ]. The oldest archeological evidence of human tobacco use dates to 12,300 years ago [ 18 , 19 , 20 ]. The Iberian colonizers encountered the plant in the 15th century, as it was used in healing and cultural practices of the American Natives, and brought it to Europe, from where it quickly spread to the rest of the world [ 6 , 21 ].…”

The regular pattern of metabolite changes in mushroom Inonotus hispidus in different growth periods and exploration of their indicator compounds

“…It aims to detect the overall trajectory of endogenous metabolites in organisms or cells under specific conditions to reflect the pathological and physiological processes of organisms, and some differential metabolites detected have become potential markers that characterize the pathological and physiological states of organisms 14 . Metabolomics has been widely used in many fields, such as animal and plant metabolism 15 , 16 , microbial metabolism 17 , 18 , disease diagnosis 19 – 21 , and drug development 22 . In recent years, metabolomics technology has been gradually applied to the field of edible and medicinal mushrooms to study metabolic profiling 23 – 25 .…”

Chemical Modification of Biomarkers through Accelerated Degradation: Implications for Ancient Plant Identification in Archaeo-Organic Residues

“…Biochemical and biomolecular analyses of plant residues from archaeological contexts is a rapidly expanding area of research [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 ]. Within this field, biomarkers are particularly useful indicators for ancient plant identification.…”

“…To date, there has been relatively little exploration of the potential and nature of secondary metabolite degradation to occur in plant residues, including resins, gums, tars, essential oils, spices, herbs, and psychoactive plant products. This is despite their widespread application in past medicinal, culinary, sanitary, cosmetic, ritual, and economic contexts [ 1 , 6 , 8 , 36 , 37 , 38 , 39 , 40 , 41 , 42 , 43 , 44 ]. Here, we investigate the transformation processes influencing the phytochemical composition of secondary metabolites from a selected plant source to gain a fundamental understanding of the chemical alterations associated with chemical degradation processes in ancient samples.…”