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Epicoprostanol found in adipocere from five human autopsies
Author(s) -
Adachi Junko,
Ueno Yasuhiro,
Miwa Atsuko,
Asano Migiwa,
Nishimura Akiyoshi,
Tatsuno Yoshitsugu
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
lipids
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.601
H-Index - 120
eISSN - 1558-9307
pISSN - 0024-4201
DOI - 10.1007/s11745-997-0148-3
Subject(s) - lipidology , chemistry , clinical chemistry , chromatography , biochemistry
Adipocere formation is well known as a later postmortem change. We collected adipocere from five male victims which had been submerged under the sea or fresh water for 1 mon to 4 yr. Fresh subcutaneous fat of a male victim who died from a cerebral contusion was used as the control. The samples were homogenized, and the lipids were extracted with chloroform and methanol followed by injection into a gas chromatograph and a gas chromatograph‐mass spectrometer. We detected hydroxy fatty acids (10‐hydroxyocatadecanoic and 10‐hydroxyhexadecanoic acid) as well as 10‐ketooctadecanoic acid in adipocere, but not in the control. In addition, we found for the first time a cholesterol‐related peak with a molecular ion of 388 in adipocere and identified it as epicoprostanol, suggesting not only oxidation but also reduction had occurred during the formation of adipocere. In addition, we showed the time‐course of epicoprostanol accumulation. The relationship between the time of adipocere formation and the characteristic lipid composition is discussed.