The Li2D laboratory participated in the work of anthropologist Philippe Charlier, studying a fragment of the heart of the Sun King. It was ultimately found to be decayed due to a fungus.
It is now known how the Sun King met his end. A scientific publication, published by the very serious journal “Annales pharmaceutiques françaises”, reveals that Louis XIV did not succumb to gangrene but was actually the victim of a rare fungus, Cyphellophora europaea.
The analysis revealed that the heart, mummified and partly recovered by the painter Alexandre Pau de Saint-Martin, contained traces of mercury, quicklime, rose and pine pollens, and sheep proteins, indicating preservation in wool. Most notably, a spectrogram identified the presence of the fungus Cyphellophora europaea, which can cause ulcers and abscesses and a rare disease called chromoblastomycosis.
The analysis also showcased the unique expertise of the Li2D laboratory in high-resolution mass spectrometry and validated their research techniques in infectious diseases and pathogens.
Louis XIV’s heart provided an interesting opportunity to exhibit the laboratory’s capabilities and highlight the potential of proteomic analysis when DNA might not provide answers. It also demonstrated the robustness of their methodology.
At the moment of his passing, Louis XIV could not have imagined that he would contribute to scientific advancements 310 years later – a different way to write history.
