Evaluation of a characterization method of Egyptian human mummy balms by chemometric treatments of infrared data

International audienceThis study presents the efficiency of an original method to characterize mummification balms. Currently, long protocols are used to extract each substance from mummification balms by using techniques such as gas chromatography and mass spectrometry. The SIMPLISMA approach using a simple algorithm combined with chemometric treatment, principal component analysis, was used to interpret the 47 Fourier Transform Infrared spectra. This treatment gave 6 pure variables and their corresponding extracted concentration profiles. The first pure spectrum corresponded to residual species, the second allowed the identification of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, molecules which have a pyrolytic origin. Proteins were characterized, and they could be considered as markers of a good conservation of individuals. Finally, two pure spectra showed the same natural substance, fat, but on the one hand unaltered and on the other hand degraded fatty matter. This fast, simple and noninvasive approach allowed the composition of each balms studied as well as their state of conservation/degradation to be characterized