The biochemical signatures of stress: A preliminary analysis of osteocalcin concentrations and macroscopic skeletal changes associated with stress in the 13th ‐ 17th centuries black friars population

ObjectiveAs a chemical precursor to the hard tissue changes well-studied in bioarchaeological research, osteocalcin provides a unique opportunity to assess stress via fluctuations in bone metabolism. The main objectives of this research were 1) to successfully extract osteocalcin from the Black Friars skeletal population; 2) to assess the diagenetic change between individual bone samples; and 3) to compare osteocalcin concentrations across sex, age, time period and macroscopic indicators of stress. MethodsTwenty adult individuals were selected from the 13th-17th centuries Black Friars skeletal population with bone samples taken from the clavicle and femur. Total protein was assessed through a MicroBCA analysis with osteocalcin quantified using a Human Quantikine ELISA kit. Diagenetic change was assessed using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and the attenuated total reflectance method. ResultsOsteocalcin concentrations showed no significant differences between sex or age groups; however, between time period the post-medieval individuals showed a significant reduction of osteocalcin in both the clavicle and the femur. There were no significant differences in osteocalcin concentrations between those with and without past stress indicators and only one significant difference among the chronic indicators. The diagenetic results demonstrated a similar degree of crystallinity between all samples. ConclusionsWhile preliminary in nature, this study was successful in demonstrating the potential use of osteocalcin in future health-related research and how the study of osteocalcin may contribute to a better understanding of how and when stress begins to affect the skeletal tissues. Am J Phys Anthropol 159:596-606, 2016. (c) 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.