Serum concentrations of lipids, vitamins A and E, vitamin D metabolites, and carotenoids in nine primate species at four zoos
✍ Scribed by Susan D. Crissey; Julie E. Barr; Kerri A. Slifka; Phyllis E Bowen; Maria Stacewicz-Sapuntzakis; Craig Langman; Ann Ward; Kimberly Ange
- Publisher
- John Wiley and Sons
- Year
- 1999
- Tongue
- English
- Weight
- 56 KB
- Volume
- 18
- Category
- Article
- ISSN
- 0733-3188
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✦ Synopsis
The purpose of this work was to measure important nutritional status parameters for captive primates, compare those with published data, and look for a link with diet. The nutritional status of nine captive primate species was examined using biochemical analysis. The species were spider monkeys (Ateles geoffroyi), colobus monkeys (Colobus guereza), sooty mangabeys (Cercocebus torquatus), Schmidt's monkeys (Cercopithecus ascanius), mandrills (Papio sphinx), baboons (Papio cynocephalus), chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes), orangutans (Pongo pygmaeus), and gorillas (Gorilla gorilla). Diet information was collected by survey and the estimated nutritional composition of the diet for each species at each institution was compared with non-human primate nutrient requirements. On the average, the captive primates received diets that met or exceeded recommended dietary guidelines for vitamins A, D, and E for non-human primates. Blood samples were collected from 94 primates held at Brookfield Zoo, Fort Worth Zoo, Lincoln Park Zoological Gardens, and North Carolina Zoological Park and analyzed for lipids, vitamins A and E, D metabolites, and carotenoids. Several species showed differences among zoos for some nutrients, but values from any one zoo were not consistently lower. When monkeys were compared with great apes, monkeys had lower serum total cholesterol, triacylglyceride, and measured LDL cholesterol levels, but significantly higher vitamin D metabolite levels. Species differences were found for serum A, E, and carotenoid levels (with the exception of lycopene). Some differences were seen in serum retinol, retinyl