Effect of a low-Fat diet on body composition and blubber fatty acids of captive juvenile harp seals (Phoca groenlandica).
Physiol Biochem Zool
; 73(1): 45-59, 2000.
Article
en En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-10685906
We investigated the effects of a change from a high-fat diet to a low-fat diet of differing fatty acid (FA) composition on the body composition and blubber FA of five captive juvenile harp seals. Seals that had been maintained for 1 yr on a diet of Atlantic herring (>/=9% fat) were switched to a diet of Atlantic pollock (1. 7% fat) for 30 d. On days 0, 14, and 30, mass and body composition (using isotope dilution) were measured, and blubber biopsies (5 cmx6 mm) were taken for FA analysis. Fat accounted for 38%-49% of body mass at the start of the experiment. When switched to the pollock diet, and despite food intakes averaging 6.5 kg/d (32.3 MJ/d), body fat declined by an average of 6.4 kg or by 32% over the 30-d experiment. In contrast, body protein increased in direct relation to protein intake (r2=0.836, P=0.030). Despite substantial loss of body fat, blubber FA signature changed significantly to reflect the changes in dietary intake of FA, and the deposition of FA was quantifiably predictable. Our results suggest that young growing phocids are unable to maintain body fat stores on low-fat diets even when protein intakes are high. This may have significant implications for juvenile pinniped survival in the wild. In addition, turnover and deposition of dietary FA in blubber takes place in nonfattening seals.
Buscar en Google
Colección:
01-internacional
Base de datos:
MEDLINE
Asunto principal:
Composición Corporal
/
Grasas de la Dieta
/
Tejido Adiposo
/
Phocidae
Límite:
Animals
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Physiol Biochem Zool
Asunto de la revista:
BIOLOGIA
/
FISIOLOGIA
Año:
2000
Tipo del documento:
Article
País de afiliación:
Canadá
Pais de publicación:
Estados Unidos