engleski

Serum biochemmistry of female Grant's zebra (Equus quagga boehmi) reared in captivity

In this study we reported biochemical values for a small population of captive Grant’s zebra and compared these values with other present in literature. These values could be used to assess the health and nutritional status of populations or individual zebras. The study was carried out at Osijek Zoo (Eastern Croatia) on 12 Grant's zebra (Equus quagga boehmi). The levels of metabolites (total protein, albumin, triglycerides, total cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol, serum globulin), enzyme activities (gamaglutamyltransferase-GGT, alkaline phosphatase-ALP, aspartate amino transferase-AST, and alanine aminotransferase-ALT) were measured. Our trial showed higher values for albumin, albumin/globulin ratio and AST activity, and lower values for total protein, globulin and GGT activity in comparison to previously established reference values. Compared to healthy horses, the zebras in our trial had higher values for albumin and albumin/globulin ratio and lower values for globulin, GGT values were higher than the standard reference values. Values for total protein, triglycerides, total cholesterol, ALP, ALT and AST were similar to values for healthy horses. Our results confirmed previously observed similarities in biochemical values between zebras and other wild and domestic equids and that points to the conclusion that all equine species have similar hematological values and that the differences are more related to handling, nutrition and environment than to species. Therefore we can assume that there will be significant deviations of our results from the values for the zebra population living in their natural environment. Due to the lack of investigations into zebra biochemistry and the relatively small sample in our investigations, these values cannot be proposed as reference values, but rather as an aid in the future establishing of biochemistry reference values for zebra populations.

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