Mass Spectrometry Imaging in Archaeobotany: An Illustration Through Analytical Characterisation of Sesame Lignans

IF 1.8 3区化学 Q4 BIOCHEMICAL RESEARCH METHODS

Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry Pub Date : 2025-06-11 DOI:10.1002/rcm.10084

Huanxi Li, Bin Han, Hongen Jiang, Bo Wang, Mengxuan Chen, Mianbo Ning, Yimin Yang

{"title":"Mass Spectrometry Imaging in Archaeobotany: An Illustration Through Analytical Characterisation of Sesame Lignans","authors":"Huanxi Li, Bin Han, Hongen Jiang, Bo Wang, Mengxuan Chen, Mianbo Ning, Yimin Yang","doi":"10.1002/rcm.10084","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div>\n \n \n <section>\n \n <h3> Rationale</h3>\n \n <p>Morphological analysis has been frequently applied in archaeobotany. Recently, increasing studies have been conducted on the identification of biomarkers in archaeobotanical materials, which are rarely attached to morphological analysis. To improve the interpretability of biomarker analysis, the localisation of characteristic biomarkers in ancient samples is needed.</p>\n </section>\n \n <section>\n \n <h3> Methods</h3>\n \n <p>We analysed characteristic lignans in ancient/modern sesame seeds via matrix-assisted laser desorption ionisation quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry imaging (MSI), testifying the potential of MSI in a detailed discussion of ancient plant use practices.</p>\n </section>\n \n <section>\n \n <h3> Results</h3>\n \n <p>The MSI distributions of sesamin and sesamolin shared similar traits in modern and ancient sesame seeds while their MSI signals were inhibited by lipidic substances in in situ MSI tests. Besides targeted biomarker characterisation, nontargeted MSI analysis showed potential to reveal plant material treatment process.</p>\n </section>\n \n <section>\n \n <h3> Conclusions</h3>\n \n <p>Botanical biomarker distribution traits were studied for the first time in archaeobotany. The MSI created a visualised colour plot with localised compound distributions, in which archaeologists can visually aid their study of plant use in antiquity. This, in some cases, provides key information for understanding the livelihoods of ancient people.</p>\n </section>\n </div>","PeriodicalId":225,"journal":{"name":"Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry","volume":"39 18","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.8000,"publicationDate":"2025-06-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry","FirstCategoryId":"92","ListUrlMain":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/rcm.10084","RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q4","JCRName":"BIOCHEMICAL RESEARCH METHODS","Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Abstract

Rationale

Morphological analysis has been frequently applied in archaeobotany. Recently, increasing studies have been conducted on the identification of biomarkers in archaeobotanical materials, which are rarely attached to morphological analysis. To improve the interpretability of biomarker analysis, the localisation of characteristic biomarkers in ancient samples is needed.

Methods

We analysed characteristic lignans in ancient/modern sesame seeds via matrix-assisted laser desorption ionisation quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry imaging (MSI), testifying the potential of MSI in a detailed discussion of ancient plant use practices.

Results

The MSI distributions of sesamin and sesamolin shared similar traits in modern and ancient sesame seeds while their MSI signals were inhibited by lipidic substances in in situ MSI tests. Besides targeted biomarker characterisation, nontargeted MSI analysis showed potential to reveal plant material treatment process.

Conclusions

Botanical biomarker distribution traits were studied for the first time in archaeobotany. The MSI created a visualised colour plot with localised compound distributions, in which archaeologists can visually aid their study of plant use in antiquity. This, in some cases, provides key information for understanding the livelihoods of ancient people.

查看原文本刊更多论文

质谱成像在古植物学中的应用：芝麻木脂素的分析表征

形态学分析在古植物学研究中得到了广泛的应用。近年来，人们对植物考古材料中生物标志物的鉴定进行了越来越多的研究，这些研究很少涉及形态分析。为了提高生物标志物分析的可解释性，需要对古代样品中的特征生物标志物进行定位。方法通过基质辅助激光解吸电离四极杆飞行时间质谱成像（MSI）分析了古代/现代芝麻中的特征木脂素，证明了MSI在详细讨论古代植物使用实践中的潜力。结果现代和古代芝麻籽粒中芝麻素和芝麻素的MSI分布具有相似的特征，但其MSI信号受到脂质物质的抑制。除了靶向生物标志物表征外，非靶向MSI分析还显示了揭示植物材料处理过程的潜力。结论首次研究了古植物学中植物生物标志物的分布特征。MSI创建了一个具有局部化合物分布的可视化彩色图，考古学家可以在其中直观地帮助他们研究古代植物的使用。在某些情况下，这为了解古代人的生计提供了关键信息。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

求助全文

约1分钟内获得全文求助全文

来源期刊

Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry 化学-分析化学

CiteScore

4.10

自引率

5.00%

发文量

219

审稿时长

2.6 months

期刊介绍： Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry is a journal whose aim is the rapid publication of original research results and ideas on all aspects of the science of gas-phase ions; it covers all the associated scientific disciplines. There is no formal limit on paper length ("rapid" is not synonymous with "brief"), but papers should be of a length that is commensurate with the importance and complexity of the results being reported. Contributions may be theoretical or practical in nature; they may deal with methods, techniques and applications, or with the interpretation of results; they may cover any area in science that depends directly on measurements made upon gaseous ions or that is associated with such measurements.