Comparison of the lipid properties of captive, healthy wild, and pansteatitis-affected wild Nile crocodiles (Crocodylus niloticus).
The results presented describe and compare the fatty acid composition and melting properties of captive, healthy wild, and pansteatitis-affected wild crocodiles (Crocodylus niloticus). Differences in fatty acid composition between intramuscular and adipose fat is noted in captive crocodiles, and the latter differs from wild crocodiles as a result of different diets. Adipose fat of healthy wild crocodiles differs minimally from diseased ones, respectively with 37.3+/-2.6% vs. 43.2+/-2.3% monounsaturated fatty acids, and 43.2+/-2.9% in dead crocodiles, while polyunsaturated fatty acids decrease from 27.3+/-1.9% to as low as 21.9+/-3.6% respectively. Of the unsaturated fatty acids 18:2n-6 decreased from 6.5+/-2.6% in unaffected crocodiles to 3.5+/-0.6% in highly affected and 3.2+/-0.4% in dead crocodiles, and 22:5n-3 from 2.8+/-0.6% to 1.8+/-0.3% and 2.2+/-0.3% respectively. The melting properties as determined by differential scanning calorimetry show that extracted adipose fat is a small degree softer in pansteatitis-affected tissue, specifically in the temperature range 7-36 degrees C, and does not contribute to the hard texture noted for adipose fat tissue of pansteatitis-affected animals. A high moisture content of 51.0+/-19.7% of the fat tissue of pansteatitis-affected animals vs.17.1+/-8.0% of healthy ones, suggests that physiological changes due to interstitial inflammation may contribute to the hard texture.
Osthoff
Gernot
G
Department of Microbial, Biochemical and Food Biotechnology, University of Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa. osthoffg.sci@ufs.ac.za
Hugo
Arno
A
Bouwman
Henk
H
Buss
Peter
P
Govender
Danny
D
Joubert
Chris C
CC
Swarts
Jannie C
JC
D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D000489:Alligators and Crocodiles / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D000835:Animals, Wild; D000836:Animals, Zoo; D002152:Calorimetry, Differential Scanning; D006262:Health; D050356:Lipid Metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D008055:Lipids / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry*; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D013231:Steatitis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*
D008055:Lipids