title: An acetic acid-based extraction method to obtain high quality collagen from archeological bone remains.
abstract: Human bones, recovered from excavations, are an important biological archive of information. In particular, the analysis of the collagen fraction is useful for paleodietary reconstruction, via light stable isotopes, and for (14)C dating. Generally, collagen extraction procedures do not prevent loss of integrity of proteins. As a consequence, information about the state-of-remains preservation is unavailable. Here we describe a "soft" nondestructive CH(3)COOH-based method to recover collagen from archaeological bones, and also to obtain material for successive isotopic analyses. Our isotopic measurements on the extracts indicate that the CH(3)COOH-based method of extraction may be routinely employed in the context of paleodiet studies. In addition, we propose that biochemical characterization by denaturant electrophoresis and Western blot on CH(3)COOH extracts may be used as a bone collagen quality indicator.
authors: Department of Chemistry and Biology, University of Salerno, via Ponte don Melillo, 84084 Fisciano (SA), Italy. icaputo@unisa.it
authors: Ivana
authors: I
authors: Caputo
authors: Marilena
authors: M
authors: Lepretti
authors: Carla
authors: C
authors: Scarabino
authors: Carla
authors: C
authors: Esposito
authors: Antonio
authors: A
authors: Proto
mesh_terms: D019342:Acetic Acid; D001106:Archaeology / Q000379:methods; D015153:Blotting, Western; D001842:Bone and Bones / Q000737:chemistry*; D002247:Carbon Isotopes / Q000032:analysis; D003094:Collagen / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000592:standards; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D005580:Fossils; D006801:Humans
chemical_list: D002247:Carbon Isotopes; D003094:Collagen; D019342:Acetic Acid