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Ambrein: a minor, but common constituent of mammalian faeces?

Steven J Rowland1, Paul A Sutton1, Barbara von der Lühe2

  • 1Biogeochemistry Research Centre, School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Plymouth, Plymouth, UK.

Natural Product Research
|March 18, 2020
PubMed

Insights

Ambrein, a valuable alcohol, was historically sourced from sperm whale coproliths. This study found ambrein in the feces of humans, elephants, cattle, giraffes, and buffalo, expanding its potential natural sources.

Area of Science:

  • * Biochemistry and Organic Chemistry
  • * Zoology and Animal Science

Background:

  • * Ambrein, a triterpenoid alcohol, has been exclusively sourced from sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus) coproliths for nearly two centuries.
  • * The presence of ambrein in human adipocere and feces prompted a broader investigation into its occurrence in other mammals.

Purpose of the Study:

  • * To investigate the hypothesis that ambrein may occur in the feces of mammals beyond marine cetaceans.
  • * To screen various mammalian fecal samples for the presence of ambrein using advanced analytical techniques.

Main Methods:

  • * Development and application of a sensitive gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) method.
  • * Utilized derivatization to enhance the detection of ambrein's sterically hindered hydroxyl group.

Main Results:

  • * Ambrein was detected in minor proportions in digested human sewage sludge.
  • * The study identified ambrein in the dung of terrestrial mammals including elephants, domestic cattle, giraffes, and buffalo.
  • * The formation mechanism and association with enteroliths/fecaliths in terrestrial species remain undetermined.

Conclusions:

  • * The natural occurrence of ambrein is not limited to marine mammals.
  • * Mammalian feces represent a potential, albeit minor, source of ambrein.
  • * Further research is needed to elucidate the biogenesis of ambrein in terrestrial animals.
Keywords:
Faecesambreinhumansmammalssewagesperm whale

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