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Agrawal G, Sanyal P. Discerning animal-sourced food in diet using isotope analysis of human scalp hair and fingernails. Eur J Nutr 2024; 63:409-423. [PMID: 38006443 DOI: 10.1007/s00394-023-03273-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2023] [Accepted: 10/20/2023] [Indexed: 11/27/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Diet-related diseases are advancing as the leading cause of death globally. As self-reporting of diet by patients can be associated with errors, stable isotopes of human tissues can be used to diagnose diseases, understand physiology, and detect change in diet. This study investigates the effect of type and amount of food on the nitrogen and carbon concentration (Nconc and Cconc) and isotopic composition (δ15N and δ13C) in human scalp hair and fingernails. METHODS A total of 100 residents participated in the study whereas only 74 individuals provided complete diet history. Sixty-six food items majorly available to them were also collected. The Nconc, Cconc, δ15N and δ13C values of human hair, nails and food items were determined. RESULTS The Nconc, Cconc, δ15N and δ13C values between plant-sourced and animal-sourced food items, as well as human hair and nail tissue were significantly different (p < 0.05). The δ15N value of human tissues was distinct between lacto-vegetarians and omnivores by 0.9‰. The δ15N and δ13C values of human tissues increased by 0.4-0.5‰ with every 5% increase in the consumption of animal protein. CONCLUSIONS The study helps to demarcate lacto-vegetarians from omnivores, and estimate the percentage of animal protein in diet based on the dual isotope values of human tissues. It also acts as a reference to determine isotopic composition of hair tissue provided the isotope value of nail tissue is known and vice versa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gunjan Agrawal
- Department of Earth Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Kolkata, Mohanpur, 741246, India.
| | - Prasanta Sanyal
- Department of Earth Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Kolkata, Mohanpur, 741246, India
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Chesson LA, Berg GE, Edwards AJ, Chau TH, Low L, Johnson DL, Tichinin AC. Forensic application of isotope ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS) for human identification. Sci Justice 2024; 64:28-37. [PMID: 38182310 DOI: 10.1016/j.scijus.2023.11.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2023] [Revised: 11/02/2023] [Accepted: 11/21/2023] [Indexed: 01/07/2024]
Abstract
Application of isotope ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS) to skeletal remains has become an important tool to investigate human behavior and history. Isotopic variations in collagen, enamel, and keratin reflect variations in an individual's diet and drinking water. Since food and water sources typically are geographically linked, isotope testing can assist in forensic identification by classifying remains to a likely geographic or population origin. If remains are commingled, differences in diet or geographic origin also can support their separation. The usefulness of IRMS in forensic science is dependent on the underlying quality and surety of the isotope test results; in other words, we need to understand their reliability in interpretations. To take ownership of isotopic data quality, we recommend asking a series of questions:Here, we use data collected during the buildout and accreditation of an isotope testing program at the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) to answer the above questions for the forensic application of IRMS for human identification. While our primary focus is on the preparation and analysis of bone collagen, the questions above should be considered whenever isotope testing is used in forensic casework. Whether the populations of interest are drugs or humans, olives or explosives, users need to evaluate their isotopic data and interpretations to ensure they are scientifically sound and legally defensible.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lesley A Chesson
- Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) Laboratory, 590 Moffet Street, Bldg 4077, Joint Base Pearl Harbor Hickam, HI 96853, USA.
| | - Gregory E Berg
- Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) Laboratory, 590 Moffet Street, Bldg 4077, Joint Base Pearl Harbor Hickam, HI 96853, USA
| | - Amelia J Edwards
- SNA International Contractor, working under contract with the DPAA, 500 Montgomery Street, Ste 500, Alexandria, VA 22314, USA
| | - Thuan H Chau
- SNA International Contractor, working under contract with the DPAA, 500 Montgomery Street, Ste 500, Alexandria, VA 22314, USA
| | - Lyndi Low
- SNA International Contractor, working under contract with the DPAA, 500 Montgomery Street, Ste 500, Alexandria, VA 22314, USA
| | - Daniel L Johnson
- SNA International Contractor, working under contract with the DPAA, 500 Montgomery Street, Ste 500, Alexandria, VA 22314, USA
| | - Alina C Tichinin
- SNA International Contractor, working under contract with the DPAA, 500 Montgomery Street, Ste 500, Alexandria, VA 22314, USA
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Li S, Li Y, Wang W, Jiao J, Degen AA, Zhang T, Bai Y, Zhao J, Kreuzer M, Shang Z. Dietary habits of pastoralists on the Tibetan plateau are influenced by remoteness and economic status. Food Res Int 2023; 174:113627. [PMID: 37981357 DOI: 10.1016/j.foodres.2023.113627] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2023] [Revised: 10/20/2023] [Accepted: 10/21/2023] [Indexed: 11/21/2023]
Abstract
In general, dietary habits of pastoralists are livestock-derived, but are also influenced by external food sources under globalization. We hypothesized that dietary habits of pastoralists would be influenced by their remoteness, and that changes from the traditional diet would result in deviations in the local ecological chain. To test this hypothesis, we determined the δ13C and δ15N values of soil, plants, and hair of animals and pastoralists (n = 885). The δ13C value in human hair reflects the proportions of protein originating from C3 and C4 plants; whereas, the δ15N value reflects the proportions of protein derived from plants and animals, with higher values indicating a greater consumption of meat. The isotopic signatures enabled us to estimate the variation in dietary habits of pastoralists across a socio-economic gradient of easily accessible to remote areas on the Tibetan plateau, and to determine the trophic transfer of the isotopes along an ecological chain. The trophic magnification factor (TMF) evaluated the trophic transfer of δ15N in the soil-plants-animals-pastoralists ecological chain. The high δ15N values in soil and plants were not recovered in animals and pastoralists in easily accessible and developed areas, indicating the use of external feed and food resources, and that they deviated from the ecological chain. The mean δ13C (-22.0 ‰) and δ15N values (6.9 ‰) of pastoralists indicated diets consisting mainly of local C3 plants and animal products. However, pastoralists in remote areas relied more on meat protein and on the local ecological chain than pastoralists in easily accessible areas, as their δ15N values and trophic magnification factor of δ15N in the ecological chain were greater. In addition to remoteness, per capita GDP influenced dietary changes in pastoralists, with richer pastoralists consuming more external food. We concluded that dietary changes of pastoralists in the easily accessible areas were due to external food resources and alterations in the local ecological chain of animals and plant-based foods available to the pastoralists.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shanshan Li
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-ecosystems, College of Ecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China; Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining 810008, China
| | - Yinfeng Li
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-ecosystems, College of Ecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Wenyin Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-ecosystems, College of Ecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Jianxin Jiao
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-ecosystems, College of Ecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - A Allan Degen
- Desert Animal Adaptations and Husbandry, Wyler Department of Dryland Agriculture, Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva 8410500, Israel
| | - Tao Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-ecosystems, College of Ecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Yanfu Bai
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-ecosystems, College of Ecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Jingxue Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-ecosystems, College of Ecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Michael Kreuzer
- ETH Zurich, Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Eschikon 27, 8315 Lindau, Switzerland
| | - Zhanhuan Shang
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-ecosystems, College of Ecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China.
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Castellanos D, DiGangi EA, Bethard JD, Kamenov G, González-Colmenares G, Sanabria-Medina C. Assessment of carbon, oxygen, strontium, and lead isotopic variation in modern Colombian teeth: An application to human identification. J Forensic Sci 2023; 68:1856-1874. [PMID: 37646362 DOI: 10.1111/1556-4029.15372] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2023] [Revised: 08/15/2023] [Accepted: 08/17/2023] [Indexed: 09/01/2023]
Abstract
Colombia faces the complex humanitarian challenges of locating approximately 100,000 missing persons and identifying thousands who are deceased. Identification is a difficult task in many cases, because the skeletonized bodies are deteriorated, missing person data are unavailable for comparison, and the provenance of the remains is often totally unknown. Isotopic analysis of human tissues (e.g., bone, hair, nails, and teeth) aid in the identification process of unknown individuals because they can provide valuable information on possible geographic origin. This project evaluated the isotopic variability of carbon (C), oxygen (O), strontium (Sr), and lead (Pb) in modern Colombian teeth according to city, department (a political designation similar to "state" in the US or Mexico), and one of four geographically determined regions of origin; and assessed its utility for human identification in Colombia. Isotopic data (O-C-Sr-Pb) were analyzed from modern Colombians originating from the cities of Bogotá, Cali, and Neiva (n = 95); and these data were compiled with published Colombian data of individuals mainly from the city of Medellín (n = 61). Results indicate a wide range and overlap of O-C-Sr-Pb isotopic distribution according to the defined categories. However, differences between coastal and lowland individuals are observed when using δ18 O values, and differences between mountainous regions are observed when using 87 Sr/86 Sr values. In addition, this study suggests that the usefulness of isotopic analysis for unidentified individuals in Colombia would be with assigning them geographically using the designations of North, Central Andes, Eastern Andes, or Southwest Andes versus making classifications at a city or department level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Castellanos
- National Institute of Legal Medicine and Forensic Sciences of Colombia, Villavicencio, Colombia
| | - Elizabeth A DiGangi
- Department of Anthropology, Binghamton University, Binghamton, New York, USA
| | - Jonathan D Bethard
- Department of Anthropology, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, USA
| | - George Kamenov
- Department of Geological Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | | | - César Sanabria-Medina
- Biomedical Sciences Research Group, School of Medicine, University Antonio Nariño, Bogota, Colombia
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Fry B, Carter JF, O'Mara K. Fingerprinting eukaryotic metabolism across the animal kingdom using position-specific isotope analysis (PSIA) 13C/ 12C measurements. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2023; 9:eadg1549. [PMID: 37406114 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adg1549] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2022] [Accepted: 06/01/2023] [Indexed: 07/07/2023]
Abstract
Despite differences in their overall metabolism, eukaryotes share a common mitochondrial biochemistry. We investigated how this fundamental biochemistry supports overall metabolism using a high-resolution carbon isotope approach, position-specific isotope analysis. We measured carbon isotope 13C/12C cycling in animals, focusing on amino acids that are formed in mitochondrial reactions and are most metabolically active. Carboxyl isotope determinations for amino acids showed strong signals related to common biochemical pathways. Contrasting isotope patterns were measured for metabolism associated with major life history patterns, including growth and reproduction. Turnover of proteins and lipids as well as gluoconeogensis dynamics could be estimated for these metabolic life histories. The high-resolution isotomics measurements fingerprinted metabolism and metabolic strategies across the eukaryotic animal kingdom, yielding results for humans, ungulates, whales, and diverse fish and invertebrates in a nearshore marine food web.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian Fry
- Australian Rivers Institute, Griffith University, Nathan, Queensland 4111, Australia
| | - James F Carter
- Queensland Health, Forensic and Scientific Services, Coopers Plains, Queensland 4108, Australia
| | - Kaitlyn O'Mara
- Australian Rivers Institute, Griffith University, Nathan, Queensland 4111, Australia
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Ahn SV, Park JK. The association between carbon and nitrogen stable isotope ratios of human hair and hypertension. Clin Hypertens 2023; 29:4. [PMID: 36721223 PMCID: PMC9890701 DOI: 10.1186/s40885-022-00228-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2021] [Accepted: 10/31/2022] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The relationship between stable isotope ratios and dietary protein sources has been reported. However, few studies have examined the effect of stable isotope ratios on metabolic risk in humans. We investigated whether the stable isotope ratios of carbon and nitrogen in human hair are associated with blood pressure and hypertension. METHODS We conducted a cross-sectional study of 392 subjects (228 men and 164 women). Hair samples of the subjects were used for the measurement of stable isotope ratios of carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N). RESULTS The δ13C and δ15N values showed positive correlations with diastolic blood pressure in the subjects without antihypertensive medication. In the subjects without antihypertensive medication, the multivariable-adjusted odds ratio (95% confidence interval) for hypertension was 1.55 (1.04-2.30) per 1‰ increase in δ15N and 1.22 (0.86-1.73) per 1‰ increase in δ13C, respectively. However, in the subjects with antihypertensive medication, neither δ13C nor δ15N values showed a significant association with hypertension. CONCLUSIONS The stable isotopic ratio of nitrogen in scalp hair is independently associated with hypertension in subjects without antihypertensive medication. The hair δ15N value might be used as a surrogate marker to screen a high-risk population for hypertension.
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Affiliation(s)
- Song Vogue Ahn
- grid.255649.90000 0001 2171 7754Department of Health Convergence, Ewha Womans University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Jong-Ku Park
- grid.15444.300000 0004 0470 5454Department of Preventive Medicine, Yonsei University Wonju College of Medicine, Wonju, Republic of Korea
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Mancuso CJ, Cornwall CM, Robinson S, Valenzuela LO, Ehleringer JR. Breath Stable Isotope Analysis Serves as a Non-invasive Analytical Tool to Demonstrate Dietary Changes in Adolescent Students Over Time. Front Med (Lausanne) 2022; 8:697557. [PMID: 35145970 PMCID: PMC8821816 DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2021.697557] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2021] [Accepted: 12/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Concern about adolescent diets, obesity, and the associated health risks have been growing in the United States. This inspired former First Lady Michelle Obama to spearhead the Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act (HHFKA), which made changes to the national school lunch program by increasing servings of whole grains, fruits, and vegetables. Our study examined the variability of student carbohydrate sources throughout the day and before and after the implementation of HHFKA using a stable isotope dietary biomarker. This method uses carbon stable isotope values of exhaled CO2 breath (δ13Cbreath) and provides a quantitative, non-invasive measure. δ13Cbreath samples were collected throughout the day from students (n = 31) that attended a public high school in Salt Lake City, UT. δ13Cbreath measurements reflected the short-term carbohydrate inputs from the previous meal. Carbohydrate sources were not consistent throughout the day; most students had their lowest inputs of corn/sugar-based carbohydrates after lunch. We compared our results with an earlier study that had been conducted pre-HHFKA. After-lunch δ13Cbreath values decreased significantly between the two time points, suggesting an increase in whole grain, fruit, and vegetable carbohydrates in the lunch program. Our results demonstrated that δ13Cbreath measurements provide a valuable tool to examine carbohydrate sources in an individual's diet throughout the day. We believe that this tool could be beneficial to studies examining the relationship between sugar sweetened beverages, added sugars, and refined carbohydrates and health outcomes like diabetes and obesity in both adolescent and adult populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christy J. Mancuso
- Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, United States
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
- *Correspondence: Christy J. Mancuso
| | - Collette M. Cornwall
- Highland High School, Salt Lake City School District, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
| | - Swede Robinson
- Highland High School, Salt Lake City School District, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
| | - Luciano O. Valenzuela
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Facultad de Ciencias Sociales, Universidad Nacional del Centro de la Provincia de Buenos Aires, Unidad de Enseñanza Universitaria Quequén, Quequén, Argentina
| | - James R. Ehleringer
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
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LeVatte M, Keshteli AH, Zarei P, Wishart DS. Applications of Metabolomics to Precision Nutrition. Lifestyle Genom 2021; 15:1-9. [PMID: 34518463 DOI: 10.1159/000518489] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2021] [Accepted: 07/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND For thousands of years, disabilities due to nutrient deficiencies have plagued humanity. Rickets, scurvy, anemia, stunted growth, blindness, and mental handicaps due to nutrient deficiencies affected up to 1/10 of the world's population prior to 1900. The discovery of essential amino acids, vitamins, and minerals, in the early 1900s, led to a fundamental change in our understanding of food and a revolution in human health. Widespread vitamin and mineral supplementation, the development of recommended dietary allowances, and the implementation of food labeling and testing along with significant improvements in food production and food quality have meant that nutrient-related disorders have almost vanished in the developed world. The success of nutritional science in preventing disease at a population-wide level is one of the great scientific triumphs of the 20th century. The challenge for nutritional science in the 21st century is to understand how to use nutrients and other food constituents to enhance human health or prevent disease at a more personal level. This is the primary goal of precision nutrition. SUMMARY Precision nutrition is an emerging branch of nutrition science that aims to use modern omics technologies (genomics, proteomics, and metabolomics) to assess an individual's response to specific foods or dietary patterns and thereby determine the most effective diet or lifestyle interventions to prevent or treat specific diseases in that individual. Metabolomics is vital to nearly every aspect of precision nutrition. It can be used to comprehensively characterize the thousands of chemicals in foods, to identify food byproducts in human biofluids or tissues, to characterize nutrient deficiencies or excesses, to monitor biochemical responses to dietary interventions, to track long-term or short-term dietary habits, and to guide the development of nutritional therapies. In this review, we will describe how metabolomics has been used to advance the field of precision nutrition by providing some notable examples or use cases. First, we will describe how metabolomics helped launch the field of precision nutrition through the diagnosis and dietary therapy of individuals with inborn errors of metabolism. Next, we will describe how metabolomics is being used to comprehensively characterize the full chemical complexity of many key foods, and how this is revealing much more about nutrients than ever imagined. Third, we will describe how metabolomics is being used to identify food consumption biomarkers and how this opens the door to a more objective and quantitative assessments of an individual's diet and their response to certain foods. Finally, we will describe how metabolomics is being coupled with other omics technologies to develop custom diets and lifestyle interventions that are leading to positive health benefits. Key Message: Metabolomics is vital to the advancement of nutritional science and in making the dream of precision nutrition a reality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcia LeVatte
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | | | - Parvin Zarei
- Department of Bioinformatics, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
| | - David S Wishart
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.,Department of Computing Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.,Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.,Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
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Lee HS, Shim JY, Shin WJ, Choi SH, Bong YS, Lee KS. Dietary homogenization and spatial distributions of carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur isotope ratios in human hair in South Korea. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0256404. [PMID: 34415968 PMCID: PMC8378694 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0256404] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2021] [Accepted: 08/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Dietary homogenization has progressed worldwide due to westernization and the globalization of food production systems. We investigated dietary heterogeneity in South Korea by examining the spatial distribution of carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and sulfur (S) isotope ratios using 264 human hair samples. Overall, variation in isotope values was small, indicating low dietary heterogeneity. We detected differences in δ13C, δ15N, and δ34S values between administrative provinces and metropolitan cities; inter-regional differences were typically < 1 ‰. Values of δ34S were significantly lower in hair samples from inland regions relative to those from coastal locations, and a similar pattern was observed in δ15N values. Understanding geographic variation in δ34S and δ15N values in human hair is useful for provenancing humans in South Korea.
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Affiliation(s)
- Han-Seul Lee
- Research Center for Geochronology and Isotope Analysis, Korea Basic Science Institute, Cheongju-si, Chungbuk, Republic of Korea
- Graduate School of Analytical Science and Technology, Chungnam National University, Daejeon, Republic of Korea
| | - Ji-Yu Shim
- Research Center for Geochronology and Isotope Analysis, Korea Basic Science Institute, Cheongju-si, Chungbuk, Republic of Korea
- Graduate School of Analytical Science and Technology, Chungnam National University, Daejeon, Republic of Korea
| | - Woo-Jin Shin
- Research Center for Geochronology and Isotope Analysis, Korea Basic Science Institute, Cheongju-si, Chungbuk, Republic of Korea
| | - Seung-Hyun Choi
- Center for Research Equipment, Korea Basic Science Institute, Cheongju-si, Chungbuk, Republic of Korea
| | - Yeon-Sik Bong
- Center for Research Equipment, Korea Basic Science Institute, Cheongju-si, Chungbuk, Republic of Korea
| | - Kwang-Sik Lee
- Research Center for Geochronology and Isotope Analysis, Korea Basic Science Institute, Cheongju-si, Chungbuk, Republic of Korea
- Graduate School of Analytical Science and Technology, Chungnam National University, Daejeon, Republic of Korea
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Neubauer C, Landecker H. A planetary health perspective on synthetic methionine. Lancet Planet Health 2021; 5:e560-e569. [PMID: 34390674 DOI: 10.1016/s2542-5196(21)00138-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2020] [Revised: 04/21/2021] [Accepted: 05/07/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Methionine is an amino acid that humans and farm animals must derive from food. This metabolite, a tightly regulated resource in ecosystems, has become a mass commodity in the global economy, with well over 1 million tons being produced annually from petroleum to fortify livestock feed. Viewed from the standpoint of planetary health, anthropogenic methionine synthesis is an important enabler of low-cost animal protein production, with interdependent but unexamined effects on human health and ecosystems. At a time when agrochemical engineering is shifting the way sulphur is assimilated and moves up our food chain, research suggests that dietary methionine restriction alone captures many healthspan benefits noted with calorie restriction. As such, methionine synthesis is an excellent exemplar of planetary scale anthropogenic activity that manifests at the molecular scale of cellular metabolism, with potential systemic effects on human health. In this Personal View we establish the scale and historical trajectory of the methionine industry and provide a preliminary model for tracing this amino acid through the food supply into the human body. We draw together insights across disparate publications of applied animal agriculture, human nutrition, and biomedical research to call for cross-disciplinary dialogue on responsible use of methionine-augmentation technologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cajetan Neubauer
- Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research, Colorado University, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - Hannah Landecker
- Department of Sociology and Institute for Society and Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
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Profile of James R. Ehleringer. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2020; 117:20348-20350. [DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2015163117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
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