title: Foraging at wastewater treatment works affects brown adipose tissue fatty acid profiles in banana bats.
abstract: In this study we tested the hypothesis that the decrease in habitat quality at wastewater treatment works (WWTW), such as limited prey diversity and exposure to the toxic cocktail of pollutants, affect fatty acid profiles of interscapular brown adipose tissue (iBrAT) in bats. Further, the antioxidant capacity of oxidative tissues such as pectoral and cardiac muscle may not be adequate to protect those tissues against reactive molecules resulting from polyunsaturated fatty acid auto-oxidation in the WWTW bats. Bats were sampled at two urban WWTW, and two unpolluted reference sites in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Brown adipose tissue (BrAT) mass was lower in WWTW bats than in reference site bats. We found lower levels of saturated phospholipid fatty acids and higher levels of mono- and polyunsaturated fatty acids in WWTW bats than in reference site bats, while C18 desaturation and n-6 to n-3 ratios were higher in the WWTW bats. This was not associated with high lipid peroxidation levels in pectoral and cardiac muscle. Combined, these results indicate that WWTW bats rely on iBrAT as an energy source, and opportunistic foraging on abundant, pollutant-tolerant prey may change fatty acid profiles in their tissue, with possible effects on mitochondrial functioning, torpor and energy usage.
authors.affiliation: School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal: Westville Campus, Private Bag X54001, Durban 4000, South Africa.
authors.forename: Kate
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hill
authors.affiliation: Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management, North-West University: Potchefstroom Campus, Private Bag X6001, Potchefstroom 2520, South Africa.
authors.forename: Sunet
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: van Aswegen
authors.affiliation: School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal: Westville Campus, Private Bag X54001, Durban 4000, South Africa.
authors.forename: M Corrie
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Schoeman
authors.affiliation: Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management, North-West University: Potchefstroom Campus, Private Bag X6001, Potchefstroom 2520, South Africa.
authors.forename: Sarina
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Claassens
authors.affiliation: Human Metabolomics, North-West University: Potchefstroom Campus, Private Bag X6001, Potchefstroom 2520, South Africa.
authors.forename: Peet
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Jansen van Rensburg
authors.affiliation: School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal: Westville Campus, Private Bag X54001, Durban 4000, South Africa.
authors.forename: Samantha
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Naidoo
authors.affiliation: School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal: Westville Campus, Private Bag X54001, Durban 4000, South Africa voslood@ukzn.ac.za.
authors.forename: Dalene
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Vosloo
keywords: Banana bats; Chironomid midges; Fatty acid profile; Wastewater treatment works