First evidence of terrestrial ambrein formation in human adipocere

• Published in: Scientific reports Vol. 9; no. 1; pp. 18370 - 7
• Main Authors: von der Lühe, Barbara, Mayes, Robert W., Thiel, Volker, Dawson, Lorna A., Graw, Matthias, Rowland, Steven J., Fiedler, Sabine
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 04.12.2019; Nature Publishing Group
• Subjects: 101/58; 631/45/287/1197; 704/172/169/209; 704/47; Adipose Tissue - physiology; Aging; Ambergris; Animals; Aquatic mammals; Autopsy; Burial; Decomposition; Exhumation; Fatty acids; Fatty Acids - metabolism; Gas chromatography; Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; Humanities and Social Sciences; Humans; Jetsam; Mass spectrometry; Mass spectroscopy; multidisciplinary; Naphthols - chemistry; Postmortem Changes; Preservation; Science; Science (multidisciplinary); Soft tissues; Sperm Whale - genetics; Sperm Whale - physiology; Steroid hormones; Triterpenes - chemistry

To date, the only known occurrence of ambrein, an important perfumery organic molecule, is in coproliths found in about one in a hundred sperm whales. Jetsam ambergris coproliths from the whale are also found occasionally on beaches worldwide. Here we report on the surprising occurrence of ambrein i...