title: Is oxidative status influenced by dietary carotenoid and physical activity after moult in the great tit (Parus major)?
abstract: In the context of sexual and natural selection, an allocation trade-off for carotenoid pigments may exist because of their obligate dietary origin and their role both in the antioxidant and immune systems and in the production of coloured signals in various taxa, particularly birds. When birds have expended large amounts of carotenoids to feather growth such as after autumn moult, bird health and oxidative status might be more constrained. We tested this hypothesis in a bird species with carotenoid-based plumage colour, by manipulating dietary carotenoids and physical activity, which can decrease antioxidant capacity and increase reactive oxygen metabolite (ROM) concentration. Great tits were captured after moult and kept in aviaries, under three treatments: physical handicap and dietary supplementation with carotenoids, physical handicap and control diet, and no handicap and control diet. We measured plasma composition (antioxidant capacity, ROM concentration, and vitamin A, vitamin E and total carotenoid concentrations), immune system activation (blood sedimentation) and stress response (heterophil/lymphocyte ratio) and predicted that handicap treatment should influence these negatively and carotenoid supplementation positively. Coloration of yellow feathers was also measured. Carotenoid supplementation increased total plasma carotenoid concentration, decreased feather carotenoid chroma and marginally increased ROM concentration. Handicap increased blood sedimentation only in males but had no clear influence on oxidative stress, which contradicted previous studies. Further studies are needed to investigate how physical activity and carotenoid availability might interact and influence oxidative stress outside the moult period, and their combined potential influence on attractiveness and reproductive investment later during the breeding season.
authors.affiliation: Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, UPEC, Paris 7, CNRS, INRA, IRD, Institut d'Écologie et des Sciences de l'Environnement de Paris, 7 Quai St Bernard, Paris F-75005, France marie.vaugoyeau@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Marie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vaugoyeau
authors.affiliation: CNRS ENS, UMS 3194, CEREEP - Ecotron IleDeFrance, Ecole Normale Supérieure, St-Pierre-lès-Nemours 77140, France.
authors.forename: Beatriz
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Decencière
authors.affiliation: CNRS ENS, UMS 3194, CEREEP - Ecotron IleDeFrance, Ecole Normale Supérieure, St-Pierre-lès-Nemours 77140, France.
authors.forename: Samuel
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Perret
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Science, University of Yüzüncü Yil, 65080 Van, Turkey.
authors.forename: Filiz
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Karadas
authors.affiliation: Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, UPEC, Paris 7, CNRS, INRA, IRD, Institut d'Écologie et des Sciences de l'Environnement de Paris, 7 Quai St Bernard, Paris F-75005, France ESPE de Paris, Université Sorbonne Paris IV, 10 rue Molitor, Paris 75016, France.
authors.forename: Sandrine
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Meylan
authors.affiliation: Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, UPEC, Paris 7, CNRS, INRA, IRD, Institut d'Écologie et des Sciences de l'Environnement de Paris, 7 Quai St Bernard, Paris F-75005, France.
authors.forename: Clotilde
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Biard
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000032:analysis; D002338:Carotenoids / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D004032:Diet; D005241:Feathers / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D009043:Motor Activity; D018384:Oxidative Stress; D046109:Passeriformes / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology*; D010858:Pigmentation; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000378:metabolism; D014801:Vitamin A / Q000097:blood; D014810:Vitamin E / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; D014801:Vitamin A; D014810:Vitamin E; D002338:Carotenoids
keywords: Antioxidants; Carotenoid-based colour; Immunity; Physiological stress