Effect of a low-fat diet on body composition and blubber fatty acids of captive juvenile harp seals (Phoca groenlandica)
We investigated the effects of a change from a high-fat diet to a low-fat diet of differing fatty acid (FA) composition on the body composition and blubber FA of five captive juvenile harp seals. Seals that had been maintained for 1 yr on a diet of Atlantic herring (greater than or equal to 9% fat)...
Published in: | Physiological and Biochemical Zoology |
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Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1086/316723 http://hdl.handle.net/10222/29072 |
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ftdalhouse:oai:DalSpace.library.dal.ca:10222/29072 2023-05-15T17:58:43+02:00 Effect of a low-fat diet on body composition and blubber fatty acids of captive juvenile harp seals (Phoca groenlandica) Kirsch, PE Iverson, Sara J. Bowen, WD 2013-07-04T18:43:16Z https://doi.org/10.1086/316723 http://hdl.handle.net/10222/29072 unknown Physiological and Biochemical Zoology 1522-2152 http://dx.doi.org/10.1086/316723 http://hdl.handle.net/10222/29072 73 1 45 article 2013 ftdalhouse https://doi.org/10.1086/316723 2021-12-29T18:08:48Z We investigated the effects of a change from a high-fat diet to a low-fat diet of differing fatty acid (FA) composition on the body composition and blubber FA of five captive juvenile harp seals. Seals that had been maintained for 1 yr on a diet of Atlantic herring (greater than or equal to 9% fat) were switched to a diet of Atlantic pollock (1.7% fat) for 30 d. On days 0, 14, and 30, mass and body composition (using isotope dilution) were measured, and blubber biopsies (5 cm x 6 mm) were taken for FA analysis. Fat accounted for 38%-49% of body mass at the start of the experiment. When switched to the pollock diet, and despite food intakes averaging 6.5 kg/d (32.3 MJ/d), body fat: declined by an average of 6.4 kg or by 32% over the 30-d experiment. In contrast, body protein increased in direct relation to protein intake (r(2) = 0.836, P = 0.030). Despite substantial loss of body fat, blubber FA signature changed significantly to reflect the changes in dietary intake of FA, and the deposition of FA was quantifiably predictable. Our results suggest that young growing phocids are unable to maintain body fat stores on low-fat diets even when protein intakes are high. This may have significant implications for juvenile pinniped survival in the wild. In addition, turnover and deposition of dietary FA in blubber takes place in nonfattening seals. Article in Journal/Newspaper Phoca groenlandica Dalhousie University: DalSpace Institutional Repository Physiological and Biochemical Zoology 73 1 45 59 |
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Dalhousie University: DalSpace Institutional Repository |
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ftdalhouse |
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description |
We investigated the effects of a change from a high-fat diet to a low-fat diet of differing fatty acid (FA) composition on the body composition and blubber FA of five captive juvenile harp seals. Seals that had been maintained for 1 yr on a diet of Atlantic herring (greater than or equal to 9% fat) were switched to a diet of Atlantic pollock (1.7% fat) for 30 d. On days 0, 14, and 30, mass and body composition (using isotope dilution) were measured, and blubber biopsies (5 cm x 6 mm) were taken for FA analysis. Fat accounted for 38%-49% of body mass at the start of the experiment. When switched to the pollock diet, and despite food intakes averaging 6.5 kg/d (32.3 MJ/d), body fat: declined by an average of 6.4 kg or by 32% over the 30-d experiment. In contrast, body protein increased in direct relation to protein intake (r(2) = 0.836, P = 0.030). Despite substantial loss of body fat, blubber FA signature changed significantly to reflect the changes in dietary intake of FA, and the deposition of FA was quantifiably predictable. Our results suggest that young growing phocids are unable to maintain body fat stores on low-fat diets even when protein intakes are high. This may have significant implications for juvenile pinniped survival in the wild. In addition, turnover and deposition of dietary FA in blubber takes place in nonfattening seals. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Kirsch, PE Iverson, Sara J. Bowen, WD |
spellingShingle |
Kirsch, PE Iverson, Sara J. Bowen, WD Effect of a low-fat diet on body composition and blubber fatty acids of captive juvenile harp seals (Phoca groenlandica) |
author_facet |
Kirsch, PE Iverson, Sara J. Bowen, WD |
author_sort |
Kirsch, PE |
title |
Effect of a low-fat diet on body composition and blubber fatty acids of captive juvenile harp seals (Phoca groenlandica) |
title_short |
Effect of a low-fat diet on body composition and blubber fatty acids of captive juvenile harp seals (Phoca groenlandica) |
title_full |
Effect of a low-fat diet on body composition and blubber fatty acids of captive juvenile harp seals (Phoca groenlandica) |
title_fullStr |
Effect of a low-fat diet on body composition and blubber fatty acids of captive juvenile harp seals (Phoca groenlandica) |
title_full_unstemmed |
Effect of a low-fat diet on body composition and blubber fatty acids of captive juvenile harp seals (Phoca groenlandica) |
title_sort |
effect of a low-fat diet on body composition and blubber fatty acids of captive juvenile harp seals (phoca groenlandica) |
publishDate |
2013 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.1086/316723 http://hdl.handle.net/10222/29072 |
genre |
Phoca groenlandica |
genre_facet |
Phoca groenlandica |
op_relation |
Physiological and Biochemical Zoology 1522-2152 http://dx.doi.org/10.1086/316723 http://hdl.handle.net/10222/29072 73 1 45 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1086/316723 |
container_title |
Physiological and Biochemical Zoology |
container_volume |
73 |
container_issue |
1 |
container_start_page |
45 |
op_container_end_page |
59 |
_version_ |
1766167402247094272 |