Association of protein intakes and variation of diet‐scalp hair nitrogen isotopic discrimination factor in P apua New G uinea highlanders

Bibliographic Data

ID8317099
AuthorsY I Naito (0000-0002-8662-7765, The University of Tokyo, corresponding author), A Morita (0000-0001-9764-6067, Tokyo Medical and Dental University), Kazumi Natsuhara (The Japanese Red Cross Akita College of Nursing Nawashirosawa 17‐3, Saruta, Kamikitate Akita Akita 010‐1493 Japan), Kiyoshi Tadokoro (Department of Human Ecology Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo 7‐3‐1 Hongo Bunkyo Tokyo 113‐0033 Japan), Jun Baba (0000-0003-0680-5021, The Research Institute for Languages and Cultures of Asia and Africa, Tokyo University of Foreign Studies 3‐11‐1 Asahi‐cho Fuchu Tokyo 183‐8534 Japan), Shingo Odani (Faculty of Letters, Chiba University 1‐33 Yayoicho, Inage Chiba 263‐8522 Japan), Eriko Tomitsuka (0000-0002-7524-6043, Department of Human Ecology Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo 7‐3‐1 Hongo Bunkyo Tokyo 113‐0033 Japan), Katsura Igai (0000-0002-8751-6899, Graduate School of Biomedical Science, Nagasaki University 1‐12‐4 Sakamoto Nagasaki 852‐8523 Japan), T Tsutaya (0000-0001-5104-5223, The University of Tokyo), Minoru Yoneda (0000-0003-0129-8921, Department of Integrated Biosciences Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo Kashiwanoha 5‐1‐5 Kashiwa Chiba 277‐8562 Japan), Andrew R Greenhill (0000-0001-5831-8714, Papua New Guinea Institute of Medical Research), Paul F Horwood (0000-0001-9622-0742, Papua New Guinea Institute of Medical Research), Kevin W Soli (Papua New Guinea Institute of Medical Research), Suparat Phuanukoonnon (0000-0003-4670-4006, Papua New Guinea Institute of Medical Research), Peter M Siba (Papua New Guinea Institute of Medical Research), Masahiro Umezaki (0000-0003-3733-3629, Department of Human Ecology Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo 7‐3‐1 Hongo Bunkyo Tokyo 113‐0033 Japan)
Year2015
Volume158
Issue3
Pages359-370
Publication date2015-11-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueAmerican Journal of Physical Anthropology (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0002-9483 • E-ISSN: 1096-8644
PublisherWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1002/ajpa.22798
PMID26173929
OpenAlexW2159370188
LanguageEN
Citations received5
References cited79

OBJECTIVES: We present new nitrogen isotopic discrimination factor between diets and scalp hairs (Δ(15) NHair-Diet : δ(15) NHair - δ(15) NDiet ) for indigenous residents in three communities in the Papua New Guinea Highlands who consumed various amounts and qualities of protein. The Δ(15) N is important for precise evaluation of the dietary habits of human populations; in both contemporary and traditional lifestyles. Several hypotheses have been proposed regarding factors that affect Δ(15) N values, based largely on observations from animal feeding experiments. However, variations and factors controlling Δ(15) N in humans are not well understood, mainly due to the difficulty of controlling the diets of participants. MATERIALS AND METHODS: These residents were studied because they have maintained relatively traditional dietary habits, which allow quantitative recording of diets. Δ(15) N was estimated by comparing hair δ(15) N values to mean dietary δ(15) N values calculated from the recorded intake of each food item and their δ(15) N values. RESULTS: The results showed that: i) there was a significant difference in Δ(15) N among study locations (3.9 ± 0.9‰ for most urbanized, 5.2 ± 1.0‰ for medium and 5.0 ± 0.9‰ for least urbanized communities; range = 1.2-7.3‰ for all participants); and ii) estimated Δ(15) N values were negatively correlated with several indicators of animal protein intake (% nitrogen in diet: range = 0.9-7.6%). DISCUSSION: We hypothesize that a combination of several factors, which presumably included urea recycling and amino acid and protein recycling and/or de novo synthesis during metabolic processes, altered the Δ(15) N values of the participants

Animal science · Biology · Nitrogen · Scalp · Urea · Anatomy · Archaeology and ancient environmental studies · Biochemistry · Chemistry · Isotope Analysis in Ecology · Pacific and Southeast Asian Studies