[Composition of adipoceres (author's transl)]

Investigation of the triacylglycerol composition of iceman's mummified tissue by high-temperature gas chromatography

The pattern of intact triacylglycerols of a skin sample from the 5300-year-old Iceman mummy (nicknamed Otzi) was resolved on a diphenyl-dimethylpolysiloxane stationary phase by high-temperature gas chromatography. Adipocere from a 64-year-old glacier mummy as well as recent human subcutaneous fat served as a comparison in this study. Qualitatively, the results for mummy samples were similar with well-preserved saturated, but decomposed unsaturated, triacylglycerols, the latter being predominant in subcutaneous fat. Excellent preservation of triacylglycerols with odd carbon numbers and branched acyl chains was observed. The results presented here shed new light on the process of mummification.

Separation and identification of 9-chloro-10-methoxy (9-methoxy-10-chloro)hexadecanoic and octadecanoic acids in adipocere

Two homologs of 9-chloro-10-methoxy(9-methoxy-10-chloro) fatty acids were found in adipocere from the human neonate, and identified as 9-chloro-10-methoxy(9-methoxy-10-chloro)hexadecanoic acid and 9-chloro-10-methoxy(9-methoxy-10-chloro)-octadecanoic acid. The chemical structures of these compounds were confirmed by thin-layer chromatography, gas-liquid chromatography, gas chromatography--mass spectrometry, nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometry and elemental analysis. The adipocere contained approximately 7.2% 9-chloro-10-methoxy(9-methoxy-10-chloro) fatty acids in the total fatty acids.

The mechanism of adipocere formation. II. Separation and identification of oxo fatty acids in adipocere

Two kinds of oxo fatty acids were found to be present in the adipocere. One of them was identified as 10-oxohexadecanoic acid and the other was as 10-oxo-octadecanoic acid. The chemical identity of these compounds was confirmed by thin-layer chromatography (TLC), gas-liquid chromatography (GLC) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The adipocere contained about 1.3 to 1.6% oxo fatty acid of total fatty acids.

The mechanism of adipocere formation 1. Identification and chemical properties of hydroxy fatty acids in adipocere

The hydroxy fatty acid purified from the adipocere, m.p. 78.5 degrees -79.0 degrees C, was optically inactive and the adipocere contained about 3 to 20% hydroxy fatty acid of the total fatty acids. The melting point of the hydroxy fatty acid was nearly identical with that of the 10-D, L-hydroxyoctadecanoic acid synthesized organically, suggesting that the hydroxy fatty acid in the adipocere appears to be converted non-enzymatically. In the adipocere two hydroxy fatty acid components were detected by gas-liquid chromatography (GLC). The major and minor components were identified as 10-hydroxyoctadecanoic and 10-hydroxyhexadecanoic acids, respectively, by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). These hydroxy fatty acids found in the adipocere appear to play an important role on the formation of adipocere.