Inter-population variation of carotenoids in Galápagos land iguanas (Conolophus subcristatus)

Dell’Omo, Giacomo; Casagrande, Stefania; Fabiani, Anna; Carosi, Monica; Bertacche, Vittorio; Márquez, Cruz; Snell, Howard L.; Snell, Heidi M.; Tapia, Washington; Gentile, Gabriele

doi:10.1016/j.cbpb.2005.07.011

Cited by 24 publications

(22 citation statements)

References 32 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…3′-Dehydro-lutein has been reported to be present in plasma and tissue of different species, including fish (Matsuno et al, 1986b), iguanas Costantini et al, 2005), birds (Matsuno et al, 1986a;McGraw and Schuetz, 2004), monkeys (Khachik et al, 1997) and humans (Khachik et al, 1992). Despite its possible importance for metabolomic investigations, it seems that the absolute stereochemistry of this metabolite has received thus far only little attention.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Metabolism of lutein and zeaxanthin in rhesus monkeys: Identification of (3R,6′R)- and (3R,6′S)-3′-dehydro-lutein as common metabolites and comparison to humans

Albert¹,

Hoeller²,

Schierle³

et al. 2008

Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part B: Biochemistry an

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Lutein and zeaxanthin are xanthophylls that can be found highly concentrated in the macula of the retina. They are thought to protect the macula through their role as blue-light filters and because of their antioxidant and singlet oxygen quenching properties. Examination of metabolites unique to lutein and zeaxanthin such as 3′-dehydro-lutein, and of their stereochemistry may provide insight to the mechanism by which they are formed and by which they exert protection. To evaluate the formation of such metabolites, eleven monkeys were raised on a xanthophyll-free diet, and supplemented with pure lutein or pure zeaxanthin (2.2 mg/kg body weight/d). The period of supplementation ranged between 12 to 92 weeks. At study start and throughout the study, serum samples were taken and analyzed for xanthophylls using different HPLC systems. Xanthophyll metabolites were identified using UV/VIS and HR-MS detection. Lutein and zeaxanthin metabolites were found in detectable amounts with 3′-dehydro-lutein being a common metabolite of both. Using chiral-phase HPLC, two diastereomers, (3R,6′R)-3′-dehydro-lutein and (3R, 6′S)-3′-dehydro-lutein, were identified and shown to be present in nearly equimolar amounts. A pathway for their formation from either lutein or zeaxanthin is proposed. These finding were comparable to results obtained with human plasma.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Metabolism of lutein and zeaxanthin in rhesus monkeys: Identification of (3R,6′R)- and (3R,6′S)-3′-dehydro-lutein as common metabolites and comparison to humans

Albert¹,

Hoeller²,

Schierle³

et al. 2008

Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part B: Biochemistry an

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…flowers and fruits) from great distances or in closed habitats, as reported for other herbivorous reptile species, such as the iguanas Ctenosaura hemilopha and Conolophus subcristatus (Costantini et al 2005;Blazquez & Rodriguez-Estrella 2007). Since our experiments were performed during the breeding season, the sexual difference in responsiveness to visual stimuli we observed in this species might perhaps derive from differences in interests between sexes, with females being particularly demanding due to their energetic investment in eggs (Speake et al 2001), with males spending much time searching for mates (Berry & Shin 1980;Sacchi et al 2004;Galeotti et al 2005aGaleotti et al , 2005bGaleotti et al , 2007.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Carotenoids are fat-soluble pigments of great biological significance for most vertebrates, because, besides conferring the bright yellow or orange colourations to animal tissues (Horak et al 2000;Blount et al 2003b;Tschirren et al 2003;Hill et al 2004), they are also involved in the immune system activation and in antioxidant activity (Blount et al 2003a;McGraw & Ardia 2003;Saino et al 2003). Moreover, animals are incapable of synthesizing carotenoids, so they can only be obtained by food consumption and are thus expected to be limited in nature (Costantini et al 2005;Berthouly et al 2008). Although most studies on carotenoids have been carried out in mammals, birds and fishes (e.g.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This is also the case for some species of geckos and snakes, which do not use chemical information to detect and ambush prey as insects, spiders or small mammals and birds (Downes & Shine 1998;Rodriguez-Robles 2002). Finally, the use of visual cues such as colours may improve the food-finding ability for herbivore reptiles feeding on brightly coloured flowers and plants (Costantini et al 2005;Blazquez & Rodriguez-Estrella 2007), allowing detection of food sources from distance or in closed habitats.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In detail, we verified (1) whether both stimuli were equally effective to elicit a response by tortoises, and (2) whether both sexes were able to discriminate between different colour stimuli, either artificial or natural, and show preferences for specific colours. Since yellow flowers are known to contain a larger amount of carotenoids than other coloured flowers (Hattori 1991;MelendezMartinez et al 2006) and given the importance of carotenoids in the diet of herbivorous reptiles (Czeczuga 1980;Raila et al 2002;Costantini et al 2005), we predicted that tortoises would show a preference for yellow flowers.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Do Hermann's tortoises (Testudo hermanni) discriminate colours? An experiment with natural and artificial stimuli

Pellitteri‐Rosa

Sacchi

Galeotti

et al. 2010

Italian Journal of Zoology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Many animals use chemical and visual cues to obtain reliable information about potential food resources. Most reptiles have evolved highly specialized chemosensory and visual capacities, in particular colour vision, to accomplish this task. By presenting animals with flowers and coloured cardboard discs in two-choice experiments, we examined whether both male and female Hermann's tortoises (Testudo hermanni) were able to distinguish between different colours, and show some preference for certain colours. We found that both sexes responded and discriminated equally between different colours, with some differences between flowers and discs. In particular, the red was preferred in the disc experiment, mainly by males, but was disregarded by both sexes in the flower experiment, where red was represented by poppy, Papaver rhoeas. This suggests that Hermann's tortoise probably relies on a mixed system of olfactory and visual abilities to detect food in order to optimize the intake of essential nutrients as minerals or carotenoids. Our results demonstrate that the most preferred colour by tortoises was the yellow, which might reflect carotenoid content, and we discuss the potential implications of this finding.

show abstract

Within- and Among-Species Variation in Resistance to Oxidative Stress and Hormetic Responses

Costantini

2014

Oxidative Stress and Hormesis in Evolutionary Ecology and Physiology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Inter-population variation of carotenoids in Galápagos land iguanas (Conolophus subcristatus)

Cited by 24 publications

References 32 publications

Metabolism of lutein and zeaxanthin in rhesus monkeys: Identification of (3R,6′R)- and (3R,6′S)-3′-dehydro-lutein as common metabolites and comparison to humans

Metabolism of lutein and zeaxanthin in rhesus monkeys: Identification of (3R,6′R)- and (3R,6′S)-3′-dehydro-lutein as common metabolites and comparison to humans

Do Hermann's tortoises (Testudo hermanni) discriminate colours? An experiment with natural and artificial stimuli

Within- and Among-Species Variation in Resistance to Oxidative Stress and Hormetic Responses

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About