Plasma carotenoids and immunity in a despotic avian scavenger
Fecha
2020
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Wiley
Resumen
Carotenoids are pigmented compounds acquired through diet that have important
functions as antioxidants and immune modulators. We studied the association between
immunity and circulating carotenoids in Andean condors (Vultur gryphus). We
evaluated the relationship between α‐, β‐, and γ‐globulin blood concentrations and
different circulating carotenoids in two groups of Andean condors that differ in their
mean health status, rehabilitating (suffering different pathologies), and wild individuals
(trapped when displaying their physiological behavior). In rehabilitating
individuals, α‐, β‐, and γ‐globulin concentrations were higher than in wild individuals.
This shows that rehabilitating individuals were developing an immune response
associated with the pathologies that they were suffering at the time of sampling. In
addition, circulating carotenoids were lower in rehabilitating than in wild individuals.
We found negative correlations between α‐, β‐, and γ‐globulins and different circulating
carotenoids in rehabilitating individuals, but not in wild condors. Xanthophylls
were strongly related to α‐, β‐, and γ‐globulin blood concentrations in
rehabilitating, but not in wild condors. Our results suggest that there is a potential
relationship between circulating carotenoids and immunity in the Andean condor.
Given that this species may display a carotenoid‐based pigmentation, our results
could suggest that a trade‐off between the immune system and external coloration
could operate in this species, which may have implications in their access to food
resources and mate selection and, thus, in their conservation.
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Plaza, P., Blanco, G., Wiemeyer, G., López-Rull, I., Hornero-Méndez, D., Donázar, J.A., Hiraldo, F, and Lambertucci, S. 2020. Plasma carotenoids and immunity in a despotic avian scavenger. Journal of Experimental Zoology Part A: Ecological and Integrative Physiology 333(8), 569-578