There are many stories about it dracula character. Some are myths and some are realities confirmed by historical documents. Indeed, it did exist.it’s known Vladislav DraculaAlthough he is better known as Vlad Tepes (Vlad the Impaler, in Romanian), because he brings a very specific end to the enemy. Much historical and scientific research has been done on his figure.It was one of the latter that gave a particularly curious message: Dracula could be vegetarian.
This study was conducted by scientists in University of CataniaIn Italy, the analysis focused on three letters sent by Count Dracula to the governor of the city of Sibiu, Romania. It contained proteins of different origins, which allowed us to find out a lot of new information about the piercer. For the legend of her blood and tears may not be so false until, perhaps, vegetarian or vegan.
Of course, as the survey authors explained in their statement independentpossible I’m not a vegetarian in principle. We’re talking about a man who impales his enemies and then sits down to eat quietly next to their dying bodies. He probably doesn’t care much about animal welfare. But it is true that he lived in a time when meat was scarce, even for a rich man like himself. Or it could also be due to his health issues or taste issues.
The Real or Fictional Life of Count Dracula
Count Dracula Vlad Tepes is undoubtedly the protagonist of the most famous legend. vampire.
Today, it is believed that he and other characters feed on food human bloodThey have porphyria. The disease causes severe anemia (which used to be treatable by controlling blood consumption) and photophobia (fear of exposure to sunlight). Additionally, it can cause the gums to recede, making the fangs appear sharper, like the fangs of a tooth. bat.
It was also said that Dracula shed tears of blood. It’s a condition known as haemorrhoids, which may be linked to certain eye conditions, but until recently, it wasn’t clear if it was part of the legend or real.
Now, thanks to three letters, One sent in 1457, two in 1475, we can learn more about him.Related Information His health, his habits and his surroundings.
These Letters Reveal You’re Vegan
A letter can give us a lot of information through it written contentBut there are other ways too. In fact, protein analysis In recent years, such documents have been widely used to reconstruct specific historical moments.
In the case of Dracula, scientists at the University of Catania know of the existence of three letters written on canvas in 1457 and 1475. The last two letters of the same year are better preserved, as it has been established in 1457 and 1475.Romania Document Preservation Agreement greatly avoiding its deterioration. The first had to go through a rigorous restoration process, but with great care to avoid contamination.
So these researchers think this could be a good starting point to learn more about Dracula. To do this, they used a technique that consists of a combination of extractions via: Ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) and mass spectrum.
EVA technology involves the use of films of this material, similar to plastic, used as ion exchanger to choose protein. The technique is based on the fact that these molecules have positively or negatively charged functional groups, which can be specifically selected using counterions (eg magnets) or by changing the pH of the medium.
In this case, several pieces of this resin were used to adhere to the letters. But they couldn’t be random, so the first thing these researchers did was put the letters under a light. UV fluorescencewhich can detect high concentrations of proteins by detecting three amino acids, or the individual blocks that make them up: Phenylalanine, Tyrosine, and Tryptophan. Once the proteins are localized, the EVA fragments are placed and by subsequent processing the proteins present on the card are separated.
Far more protein than human sources
Once candidate proteins are isolated, they can use another technique (called mass spectrometry) and databaseto find out its origin and its role.
Not only are the three Dracula cards analyzed. The current chart used as a control was also considered.If proteins are found in all these substances, it is speculated that This was not unique to Vlad’s circumstances.
Thus, some interesting data were found.Proteins of human origin mainly come from Skin, sweat glands, respiratory tract, blood and eyes. Proteins derived from disease-associated mutations such as primary ciliary dyskinesia, which can cause everything from bronchitis and pneumonia to sinusitis and even infertility. As for retinal proteins, something has been discovered that could explain why Dracula cries blood.
But it’s not just human protein.Some have also been found to be associated with Bacteria, viruses, fungi, insects or plants.For example, there are penetrating mycoplasma, A sexually transmitted bacteria, virus associated with pelvic inflammatory disease, such as flavivirustransmitted by mosquitoes or plants, such as Arabidopsis.
Another curious fact is that proteins from fungi and insects have been found to be closely related to very ripe fruit. This suggests that Dracula may have eaten a lot of fruit.However, in addition, no protein was found to be associated with consumption food of animal origin. Therefore, fruits and vegetables may be the basis of their diet. Maybe Dracula is vegetarian. Vampires who eat only vegetables look like characters from cartoons or children’s stories. But in reality, it’s the complex story of one of the creepiest, most brutal characters ever created.