The majority of vitamin A is transported as retinyl esters in the blood of most carnivores.
1. In canines and mustelides total vitamin A was 10-50 times higher compared to other species due to a high amount of retinyl esters (40-99% of total vitamin A) in blood plasma. The dominant vitamin A ester was in most species retinyl stearate. 2. In Ursidae, Procyonidae, Viveridae and Felidae, total vitamin A was much lower. When present, however, retinyl esters also represented 10-65% of total vitamin A in plasma. 3. Only retinol was detected in plasma of the family, Hyaenidae, and the suborder, Pinnipedia. 4. In maned wolf cubs it was found that retinol, retinyl esters and alpha-tocopherol increased with the age of the animals, reaching values comparable to adult animals at the age of 5 months.
Schweigert
F J
FJ
Institute of Physiology, Veterinary Faculty, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, München, FRG.
Ryder
O A
OA
Rambeck
W A
WA
Zucker
H
H
D000375:Aging / Q000097:blood; D000818:Animals; D001692:Biological Transport; D002335:Carnivora / Q000097:blood*; D009994:Osmolar Concentration; D014801:Vitamin A / Q000097:blood*
D014801:Vitamin A