title: Pulque production from fermented agave sap as a dietary supplement in Prehispanic Mesoamerica.
abstract: Although in modern societies fermented beverages are associated with socializing, celebration, and ritual, in ancient times they were also importa`nt sources of essential nutrients and potable water. In Mesoamerica, pulque, an alcoholic beverage produced from the fermented sap of several species of maguey plants (Agavaceae; Fig. 1) is hypothesized to have been used as a dietary supplement and risk-buffering food in ancient Teotihuacan (150 B.C. to A.D. 650). Although direct archaeological evidence of pulque production is lacking, organic residue analysis of pottery vessels offers a new avenue of investigation. However, the chemical components of alcoholic beverages are water-soluble, greatly limiting their survival over archaeological timescales compared with hydrophobic lipids widely preserved in food residues. Hence, we apply a novel lipid biomarker approach that considers detection of bacteriohopanoids derived from the ethanol-producing bacterium Zymomonas mobilis for identifying pulque production/consumption in pottery vessels. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry selected ion monitoring (m/z 191) of lipid extracts of >300 potsherds revealed characteristic bacteriohopanoid distributions in a subset of 14 potsherds. This hopanoid biomarker approach offers a new means of identifying commonly occurring bacterially fermented alcoholic beverages worldwide, including palm wine, beer, cider, perry, and other plant sap- or fruit-derived beverages [Swings J, De Ley J (1977) Bacteriol Rev 41(1):1-46].
authors.affiliation: Organic Geochemistry Unit, School of Chemistry, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TS, United Kingdom;
authors.forename: Marisol
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Correa-Ascencio
authors.affiliation: Department of Anthropology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305-2034;
authors.forename: Ian G
authors.initials: IG
authors.lastname: Robertson
authors.affiliation: School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287-20402; and.
authors.forename: Oralia
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Cabrera-Cortés
authors.affiliation: Zona de Monumentos Arqueológicos de Teotihuacan, Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia, Teotihuacan, 55800 Mexico C.P., Mexico.
authors.forename: Rubén
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cabrera-Castro
authors.affiliation: Organic Geochemistry Unit, School of Chemistry, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TS, United Kingdom; r.p.evershed@bristol.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Richard P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Evershed
mesh_terms: D027882:Agave / Q000737:chemistry; D000434:Alcoholic Beverages / Q000032:analysis / Q000266:history; D019587:Dietary Supplements / Q000032:analysis / Q000266:history*; D005285:Fermentation; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D049690:History, Ancient; D006801:Humans; D008055:Lipids / Q000737:chemistry; D008800:Mexico; D009751:Nutritional Requirements; D010163:Paleontology; D003313:Zea mays; D017355:Zymomonas / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D008055:Lipids
keywords: Mexico; hopanes; pine resins