EnviroFlight, LLC, Mays-ville, KY 41056, USA,
North Carolina Zoo, Asheboro, NC 27205, USA.
J Zoo Wildl Med. 2021 Jun;52(2):610-617. doi: 10.1638/2019-0173.
Blood fatty acid profiles can indicate an animal's wild-type diet composition and fatty acid status, but have not been reported in sea turtles. Newer technologies allow for fatty acid profiles from very small (less than three drops) samples of whole blood. This study examined whole blood fatty acid profiles of presumably healthy, neritic, juvenile, wild green () ( = 9; 6 males, 3 females) and Kemp's ridley () ( = 8; 6 males, 2 females) turtles from North Carolina, USA. Saturated fatty acids, which can be synthesized de novo, consisted primarily of 16:0, although green turtle blood had a higher proportion of 18:0 ( < 0.001) than Kemp's ridleys, while Kemp's ridley blood had higher proportions of 17:0 ( = 0.007), 20:0 ( = 0.03), 22:0 (= 0.002), and 24:0 ( < 0.001) as compared with green turtles. Total monounsaturated w7 fatty acids, which can be synthesized de novo or may be diet derived, were higher in Kemp's ridleys and predominantly in the form of 16:1 and 18:1w7 fatty acids. Kemp's ridley blood had more than double the relative proportion of 16:1w7 as compared with green turtles (= 0.03). Green turtles had higher levels of 18:2w6 than Kemp's ridleys (= 0.02). In both turtle species, 20:4w6 was detected, despite predicted low dietary proportions, suggesting bioconversion from precursors. Finally, green turtles had higher levels of 18:3w3 compared with Kemp's ridleys, while Kemp's ridleys had higher proportions of 20:5w3 compared with green turtles ( < 0.001, = 0.007, respectively). Whole blood fatty acid profiles generally correlate to previous work with lipid depots, supporting the use of this less invasive methodology to advance the understanding of fatty acid nutrition of sea turtles. These data can be used to assess and guide nutrition and health programs for sea turtles under human care.
血液脂肪酸谱可以指示动物的野生型饮食组成和脂肪酸状况，但在海龟中尚未报道。较新的技术允许从小量（少于三滴）全血样本中分析脂肪酸谱。本研究检查了来自美国北卡罗来纳州的假定健康的近海、幼年、野生绿海龟（ = 9；6 只雄性，3 只雌性）和肯普氏丽龟（ = 8；6 只雄性，2 只雌性）的全血脂肪酸谱。可以从头合成的饱和脂肪酸主要由 16:0 组成，尽管绿海龟血液中 18:0 的比例较高（ < 0.001），而肯普氏丽龟血液中 17:0（ = 0.007）、20:0（ = 0.03）、22:0（= 0.002）和 24:0（ < 0.001）的比例较高与绿海龟相比。可以从头合成或可能来源于饮食的总单不饱和 w7 脂肪酸在肯普氏丽龟中较高，主要以 16:1 和 18:1w7 脂肪酸的形式存在。肯普氏丽龟血液中 16:1w7 的相对比例是绿海龟的两倍多（= 0.03）。绿海龟的 18:2w6 水平高于肯普氏丽龟（= 0.02）。尽管预测饮食比例较低，但在这两个海龟物种中都检测到了 20:4w6，表明存在前体的生物转化。最后，绿海龟的 18:3w3 水平高于肯普氏丽龟，而肯普氏丽龟的 20:5w3 比例高于绿海龟（ < 0.001，= 0.007）。全血脂肪酸谱通常与先前的脂质库研究结果相关，支持使用这种侵入性较小的方法来提高对海龟脂肪酸营养的理解。这些数据可用于评估和指导海龟在人类护理下的营养和健康计划。
