The Structure of the Lingual Papillary of the Asian Palm Civet’s ( Paradoxurus hermaphorditus ): The Analysis of Feeding Habit Adaption using Gross-Morphometric, Scanning Electron Microscope, Light Microscope (Histochemistry Staining)

Abstract

The Asian palm civet ( Paradoxurus hermaphroditus) is a wild mammal which is living in nature in Indonesia forest. Recently due to the highest demand of civet coffee, push the changes of the living environment of the Asian palm civet as the pet or captive breed. Changes in the environment from the wild to human intervention cause shift in their behaviour and feeding patterns. This is thought possibly to affect it’s anatomical structure and histology digestive organ and mainly the lingual papillae as an entrance of the food. This study aims to analyse the anatomical structure of the lingual papillae and the secretions of the lingual glands in Paradoxurus hermaphroditus due to the changes of the food behaviour by gross macroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and light microscopy (LM) in the form of histochemical staining (hematoxyline eosin, Alcian Blue-Periodic Acid Schiff, and Masson’s Trichrome). The SEM results revealed that several type lingual papillae are found on the tongue of the Paradoxurus hermaphroditus they are: fungiform, arrowhead filiform, giant arrowhead filiform, scale-like filiform, conical, and circumvallate papillae. The histological results showed that on the radix of tongue of the civet are found Weber’s glands which produce the secretion of neutral and acid mucin. Collagen fibers were found scattered in all of the lamina propria and some of the tunica muscularis with higher collagen intensity at the apex. In conclusion, these results provide the new insight of the adaptation form of the lingual papillae of the Asian palm civet due to their changes of feeding behaviour based on the type, number, distribution of the papillae, as well as the type of lingual gland secret and the presence of the collagen fibre.