title: Vitamin A (retinol and retinyl esters), alpha-tocopherol and lipid levels in plasma of captive wild mammals and birds.
abstract: Vitamin A (retinol and retinyl esters), vitamin E and lipids were determined in a wide variety of wild mammals and birds held in captivity. In mammals plasma levels of vitamin A were generally below 500 ng/ml and those of vitamin E were highly variable (0.1-2 micrograms/ml). In primates, vitamin E levels were 3 to 8 micrograms/ml. Whereas in Marsupialia, Chiroptera, primates, Rodentia, Proboscidea, Sirenia, Perissodactyla and Artiodactyla only retinol was found, retinyl esters (basically retinol palmitate/oleate) represented 10 to 50% of the total plasma vitamin A in some birds of the order Ciconiiformes and Falconiformes. Retinol levels in birds were higher compared to mammals (500-2,000 ng/ml). The same was true for lipids as well as for vitamin E levels (1-26 micrograms/ml) in the plasma of birds.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Physiology, Physiological Chemistry and Nutrition Physiology, Veterinary Faculty, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Germany.
authors.forename: F J
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Schweigert
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Uehlein-Harrell
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: von Hegel
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wiesner
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000836:Animals, Zoo / Q000097:blood*; D001717:Birds / Q000097:blood*; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood*; D008322:Mammals / Q000097:blood*; D012016:Reference Values; D014801:Vitamin A / Q000097:blood*; D014810:Vitamin E / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D008055:Lipids; D014801:Vitamin A; D014810:Vitamin E