title: Gas chromatography/mass spectrometry and pyrolysis-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry for the chemical characterisation of modern and archaeological figs (Ficus carica).
abstract: Gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) after alkaline hydrolysis, solvent extraction and trimethylsilylation, and analytical pyrolysis using hexamethyldisilazane (HMDS) for in situ derivatisation followed by gas chromatographic/mass spectrometric analysis (Pyrolysis-silylation-GC/MS) were used to investigate the hydrolysable and soluble constituents, and the polymerised macromolecules of an archaeological fig (Ficus carica) recovered in Zaragoza (Spain), as well as of modern figs. The main aim was to study the compositional alterations undergone by the fig tissues in a particular archaeological environment: the fig was in a vessel and covered by a layer of a mixture of orpiment and gypsum. A comparison between the GC/MS results from modern and archaeological figs revealed that degradative reactions took place, leading to the disappearance/depletion of reactive (unsaturated fatty acids) and sensitive compounds (phytosterols and triterpenes). Py-silylation-GC/MS data provided evidence of a significant degradation of the saccharide and lipid components of the fig tissue, which left a residue enriched in polyphenols and polyesters.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy. erika@dcci.unipi.it
authors.forename: Erika
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ribechini
authors.forename: Josefina
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pérez-Arantegui
authors.forename: Maria Perla
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Colombini
mesh_terms: D001106:Archaeology / Q000379:methods*; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000032:analysis; D030681:Ficus / Q000737:chemistry*; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry / Q000379:methods*; D006358:Hot Temperature; D006880:Hydroxy Acids / Q000032:analysis; D010840:Phytosterols / Q000032:analysis; D014315:Triterpenes / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D005227:Fatty Acids; D006880:Hydroxy Acids; D010840:Phytosterols; D014315:Triterpenes