AI Article Synopsis
- The betel quid, including areca nuts, is one of the most widely used psychoactive substances globally, with evidence suggesting its use dates back to prehistoric times.
- Archaeological artifacts and staining on ancient human teeth hint at this practice, but such indirect evidence is often questioned.
- A recent study has provided the first direct analytical evidence by detecting arecoline, an alkaloid specific to betel nuts, from a stained tooth of an Iron Age skeleton in Southern Vietnam using advanced analytical techniques.
Article Abstract
The betel quid is one of the most commonly consumed psychoactive substances in the world. By archaeological evidence like the occurrence of areca nuts in archaeological sites, the typical overall reddish-brown staining on prehistoric human teeth or specific artifacts linked with the habit, it is assumed that this tradition reaches back to prehistoric times. Since this kind of evidence is indirect, it is frequently doubted. The present study provides the earliest direct analytical indication of betel nut chewing in human history. A typical stained tooth from an Iron Age skeleton (site Gò Ô Chùa in Southern Vietnam, 400-100 BC) was analyzed by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) and liquid chromatography-high-resolution mass spectrometry (LC-HR-ToF-MS) and the alkaloid arecoline which is specific for Areca catechu L. (Arecaceae) was detected.
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| http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02791072.2016.1264647 | DOI Listing |
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