title: Fatty acid, carotenoid and vitamin A composition of tissues of free living gulls.
abstract: The aim of this study was to investigate fatty acid and carotenoid profile as well as vitamin A (retinol and retinol esters) content in gull (Larus fucus) tissues. Palmitic (16:0) and stearic (18:0) fatty acids were major saturates in all the tissues studied. Oleic acid (18:1n-9) was the major monounsaturate in the tissue phospholipids varying from 11.9% (liver) up to 18.2% (lung). Arachidonic acid (20:4n-6) was the major unsaturate in the phospholipid fraction in all the tissues. Liver contained the highest total carotenoid concentration which was 5 and 7 fold higher compared to kidney and pancreas. In the liver beta-carotene was major carotenoid. In contrast, in all other tissues beta-carotene was minor fraction with lutein being major carotenoid. Zeaxanthin, canthaxanthin, beta-cryptoxanthin and echinenone were also identified in the gull tissues. Liver and kidney were characterised by the highest vitamin A concentrations (1067.5 and 867.5 microg/g, respectively). Retinol comprised from 55.3% (pancreas) down to 8% (kidney) of the total vitamin A but was not detected in the abdominal fat. Retinyl palmitate was the major retinyl ester in the liver, kidney and heart (44.2; 38.1 and 46.0% of total retinyl esters). In muscles and abdominal fat retinyl stearate was the major retinyl ester fraction. Therefore high proportions of beta-carotene were found in gull liver and peripheral tissues were enriched by lutein and zeaxanthin compared to the liver, a very high concentration of retinyl esters in the kidney was observed and tissue-specificity in retinyl ester proportions in peripheral tissues was found.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Nutrition, SAC, Auchincruive, Ayr, KA6 5HW, UK. p.surai@au.sac.ac.uk
authors.forename: P F
authors.initials: PF
authors.lastname: Surai
authors.forename: N J
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: Royle
authors.forename: N H
authors.initials: NH
authors.lastname: Sparks
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001717:Birds; D002338:Carotenoids / Q000032:analysis*; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D013050:Spectrometry, Fluorescence; D014018:Tissue Distribution; D014801:Vitamin A / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D005227:Fatty Acids; D014801:Vitamin A; D002338:Carotenoids