Dataset Information

Modified fish diet shifted serum metabolome and alleviated chronic anemia in bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus): Potential role of odd-chain saturated fatty acids.

ABSTRACT: Bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) are long-lived mammals that can develop chronic aging-associated conditions similar to humans, including metabolic syndrome. Initial studies suggest that these conditions may be attenuated in dolphins using a modified fish diet. Serum metabolomics, fatty acid panels, and blood-based health indices were compared between 20 dolphins on a modified, 50% wild-type diet (50% mullet, 25% capelin, and 25% squid and/or herring) and 10 dolphins on a baseline diet (75% capelin and 25% squid and/or herring). Blood samples were collected at Months 0, 1, 3 and 6. Dolphins on the modified diet had lower insulin (7.5 ± 4.0 and 14.8 ± 14.0 ?IU/ml, P = 0.039), lower cholesterol (160 ± 26 and 186 ± 24 mg/dl, P = 0.015) and higher hematocrit (46 ± 3 and 44 ± 3%, P = 0.043) by Month 1 compared to controls. Dolphins with anemia (hemoglobin ? 12.5 g/dl, n = 6) or low-normal hemoglobin (12.5-13.5 g/dl, n = 3) before placed on the modified diet had normal hemoglobin concentrations (> 13.5 g/dl) by Month 3. The modified diet caused a significant shift in the metabolome, which included 664 known metabolites. Thirty prioritized metabolites at Months 1 and 3 were 100% predictive of dolphins on the modified diet. Among 25 prioritized lipids, 10 (40%) contained odd-chain saturated fatty acids (OCFAs); C15:0 was the highest-prioritized OCFA. Increased dietary intake of C15:0 (from 1.3 ± 0.4 to 4.5 ± 1.1 g/day) resulted in increased erythrocyte C15:0 concentrations (from 1.5 ± 0.3 to 5.8 ± 0.8 ?g/ml, P < 0.0001), which independently predicted raised hemoglobin. Further, increasing age was associated with declining serum C15:0 (R2 = 0.14, P = 0.04). While higher circulating OCFAs have been previously associated with lower risks of cardiometabolic diseases in humans, further studies are warranted to assess potential active roles of OCFAs, including C15:0, in attenuating anemia.

SUBMITTER: Venn-Watson S

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7138614 | biostudies-literature | 2020

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Modified fish diet shifted serum metabolome and alleviated chronic anemia in bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus): Potential role of odd-chain saturated fatty acids.

Venn-Watson Stephanie S Baird Mark M Novick Brittany B Parry Celeste C Jensen Eric D ED

PloS one 20200407 4

Bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) are long-lived mammals that can develop chronic aging-associated conditions similar to humans, including metabolic syndrome. Initial studies suggest that these conditions may be attenuated in dolphins using a modified fish diet. Serum metabolomics, fatty acid panels, and blood-based health indices were compared between 20 dolphins on a modified, 50% wild-type diet (50% mullet, 25% capelin, and 25% squid and/or herring) and 10 dolphins on a baseline diet ( ...[more]

PMID: 32259832

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Project description:In recent decades, animal welfare science has evolved to utilize a multidisciplinary approach to assess the welfare of animals in accredited zoos and aquariums. Science-based animal welfare assessments have become an essential component of management programs and widespread application is expected by animal care professionals. Management practices for bottlenose dolphins in accredited facilities incorporate several programs that potentially impact animal welfare including environmental enrichment and animal training. Additionally, habitat characteristics, such as the dimensions of the habitat, have been proposed to affect welfare. While accredited facilities are required to meet high standards of care, habitat characteristics and management practices are not standardized across locations. Knowledge and subsequent application of these practices and habitat characteristics can enhance our understanding of factors associated with positive welfare. As part of a larger study of dolphin welfare titled "Towards understanding the welfare of cetaceans in zoos and aquariums" (colloquially called the Cetacean Welfare Study), survey data were collected from 86 bottlenose dolphins in 40 habitats at 38 facilities in seven countries. The major aims of this paper are to provide general descriptive information regarding dolphin management in accredited zoos and aquariums and to provide supplemental context to the other research published from the Cetacean Welfare Study data set. This paper provides a review of current habitat characteristics and management practices at those 38 accredited zoos and aquariums. These data enabled the identification and quantification of how cetacean management practices differed between participating facilities accredited by the Alliance for Marine Mammal Parks and Aquariums and the Association of Zoos & Aquariums. Variables were selected based on their potential association with welfare including the physical habitat, environmental enrichment, and training programs. The variables were also used for subsequent research in this collection of related papers to investigate important connections between potential indicators of welfare and habitat characteristics, environmental enrichment, and training programs.

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Dataset Information

Modified fish diet shifted serum metabolome and alleviated chronic anemia in bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus): Potential role of odd-chain saturated fatty acids.

Publications

Modified fish diet shifted serum metabolome and alleviated chronic anemia in bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus): Potential role of odd-chain saturated fatty acids.

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