Boyle Rebecca, Dearing M Denise
Tasmanian School of Pharmacy, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Australia.
Zoology (Jena). 2003;106(2):151-8. doi: 10.1078/0944-2006-00109.
Ingestion of plant secondary compounds by herbivores is predicted to increase resting or basal metabolic rates. We tested this hypothesis with two species of woodrat herbivores, Neotoma stephensi and Neotoma albigula, consuming diets of juniper (Juniperus monosperma), which is rich in plant secondary compounds. In nature, N. stephensi specializes on juniper, whereas N. albigula consumes a variety of plant species including juniper. We measured resting metabolic rates (RMR) of woodrats on control, 25% juniper and a treatment containing the maximum tolerable dose of juniper (50% juniper for N. albigula and 70% juniper for N. stephensi). Ingestion of a juniper diet resulted in decreased RMR in both species of woodrats. We propose several potential mechanisms for metabolic depression of Neotoma on juniper diets. Our novel results underscore the need for more studies utilizing plant-based diets to determine the general effect of plant secondary compounds on metabolic rates of herbivores.
草食动物摄入植物次生化合物预计会提高静息或基础代谢率。我们用两种林鼠草食动物——斯蒂芬林鼠（Neotoma stephensi）和白喉林鼠（Neotoma albigula）——来检验这一假设，它们食用富含植物次生化合物的杜松（单籽杜松，Juniperus monosperma）。在自然环境中，斯蒂芬林鼠专门以杜松为食，而白喉林鼠则食用包括杜松在内的多种植物。我们测量了林鼠在对照饮食、25%杜松饮食以及含有杜松最大耐受剂量的饮食（白喉林鼠为50%杜松，斯蒂芬林鼠为70%杜松）条件下的静息代谢率（RMR）。食用杜松饮食导致两种林鼠的静息代谢率均下降。我们提出了几种斯蒂芬林鼠在食用杜松饮食时代谢抑制的潜在机制。我们的新结果强调需要开展更多利用植物性饮食的研究，以确定植物次生化合物对草食动物代谢率的总体影响。
