Fecal steroids of the coprolite of a Greenland Eskimo mummy, AD 1475: a clue to dietary sterol intake

Background: Sterols in feces reflect sterols in the diet. in previous analy ses of the fecal steroids in 1000-2000-y-old Native American coprolites fou nd in the dry caves of Nevada, we showed that the sterol nucleus was stable . The coprolites provided useful dietary information. Objective: In the present study, we analyzed the fecal steroids of an Eskim o mummy buried and frozen > 500 y ago in Greenland. We compared these analy ses with our findings in the coprolites from Nevada and in present-day stoo l samples from Tarahumara Indians of Mexico and Americans consuming low- an d high-cholesterol diets. Design: The fecal material from the Eskimo mummy was subjected to saponific ation, extraction, and digitonin precipitation. The sterols and bile acids were further analyzed by thin-layer chromatography and gas-liquid chromatog raphy. Results: The fecal steroids of the Greenland Eskimo mummy were remarkably s imilar to those of present-day stool samples. However, unlike in the stool of modern humans, a portion of the neutral steroids in the coprolite had be en converted to sterol epimers. Instead of deoxycholic acid, 3 alpha ,6 bet a ,12 alpha -trihydroxy- cholanic acid was one of the major fecal bile acid s. The plant sterol output in the coprolite was only 0.4% of the output of Americans consuming 250-400 mg plant sterols/d. The ratio of bile acid to c holesterol in the coprolite was similar to that in stool from Tarahumara In dians consuming a low-cholesterol diet. Conclusion: The sterol nucleus is stable when frozen. The analysis of copro lite showed that the young Eskimo woman had consumed a diet very low in pla nt sterols and moderate to low in cholesterol content.