The detection of nicotine in a Late Mayan period flask by gas chromatography and liquid chromatography mass spectrometry methods

• Published in: Rapid communications in mass spectrometry 2012-02, Vol.26 (4), p.403-411
• Main Authors: Zagorevski, Dmitri V., Loughmiller-Newman, Jennifer A.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Archaeology; Chromatography, Liquid; Cooking and Eating Utensils; Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry - methods; History, Medieval; Humans; Indians, Central American - history; Nicotine - analysis; Nicotine - history; Tandem Mass Spectrometry
• ISSN: 0951-4198; 1097-0231
• DOI: 10.1002/rcm.5339

Several ancient Mayan vessels from the Kislak Collection of the US Library of Congress were examined for the presence of alkaloids. One of them, a codex‐style flask, bears a text that appears to read yo‐'OTOT‐ti 'u‐MAY, spelling y‐otoot 'u‐may 'the home of its/his/her tobacco'. Samples extracted from this Late Classic period (600 to 900 AD) container were analyzed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) and liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC/MS) methods. Nicotine was identified as the major component of the extracts. LC/MS analyses also yielded signals due to nicotine mono‐oxides. The identities of the compounds were determined by comparison of the chromatographic and/or mass spectral characteristics with those from standards and literature data. High‐resolution high mass accuracy tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) spectra of protonated nicotine and nicotine mono‐oxides were measured to verify and to correct previous product ion assignments. These analyses provided positive evidence for nicotine from a Mayan vessel, indicating it as a likely holder of tobacco leafs. The result of this investigation is the first physical evidence of tobacco from a Mayan container, and only the second example where the vessel content recorded in a Mayan hieroglyphic text has been confirmed directly by chromatography/mass spectrometry trace analysis. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.