engleski

Assessing physiological status: a preliminary study of fatty acid composition in brown bears from Croatia and Poland

Serum fatty acids (FA) level provides an important measure of the physiological and immunological state and can provide a health assessment. The objective of this study was to determine the FA composition in serum of brown bears from Croatia and Poland. The study was conducted on 20 animals, 10 from Croatia (4 females, F ; 6 males, M), and 10 from Poland (3 F, 7 M). Seven serum samples were collected during 2015 and 2016 from brown bears in Croatia, and seven samples during 2014, 2015, and 2016 from brown bears in Poland during capturing and radio-collaring. Six samples were collected from bears in captivity (three samples from both countries). Total lipids were extracted and the composition of FA methyl esters was determined by gas chromatography. Results showed that lipids isolated from serum of brown bears in Croatia were dominated by polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) (41.7±9.8% ; the most common linoleic acid, C18:2 ; 24.7±8.4%). Serum of brown bears in Poland was dominated by saturated FA (38.0±2.81% ; the most common palmitic acid, C16:0, 16.9±2.3%). In bears from Croatia saturated FA constituted 36.4±6.2% (the most common palmitic acid, 15.2±4.2%), while in bears from Poland PUFA constituted 32.8±5.3% (the most common linoleic acid, 18.6±3.9%). In Croatian bears monounsaturated FA constituted 21.3±6.3% vs. 28.8±6.7% in bears from Poland (the most common oleic acid, C18:1c9 ; 15.5±4.1% and 21.3±6.3%, respectively). Signifcantly higher percentages of C18:2, C20:5, PUFA as well as C20:5/C22:6 ratio (EPA/DHA) were found in Croatian bears. In contrast, a higher ratio of C16:1t, C18:0, C18:1c9 and MUFA was found in bears from Poland. Females from Croatia had a higher ratio of C18:2, while females from Poland had a higher ratio of C18:1c11. Male bears from Croatia had a higher percentage of C20:4n-6, C20:5, as well as of arachidonic acid/DHA and EPA/DHA ratios, while males from Poland had a higher percentage of C16:1t, C18:1c9 and C20:1. Fatty acids as C18:2, C20:4n-6, DHA and EPA are required for normal physiological functions linked to membrane integrity and regulatory cell signals. This is a preliminary study and future research should be focused on a larger sample size to provide better health assessments of the two bear populations. The results present valuable contributions to physiological studies of the European brown bear.

fatty acid composition, serum, brown bear

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