Abstract
The aim of this study was to determine the metabolic response in giant pandas (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) to the consumption of certain parts of bamboo above ground growth. Giant pandas were provisioned with three species of bamboo: Phyllostachys bissetii, of which they only consume the culm (culm group); Bashania fargesii, of which they only consume the leaves (leaf group); and Qiongzhuea opienensis, of which they only consume the shoots (shoot group). The “culm” group absorbed the highest amount of calories and fiber, but was in short energy supply (depressed tricarboxylic acid cycle activity), and high fiber level diet might reduce the digestibility of protein. The “culm” and “leaf” groups absorbed less protein, and had a lower rate of body mass growth than the “shoot” group. Digestion of fiber requires energy input and yields low caloric extraction from the culm and leaf, and protein intake is important for increasing body mass. However, long-term consumption of shoots may have a potentially negative effect on the health because of high protein composition. Therefore, a balanced diet consisting of diverse plant parts of bamboo is important for the overall metabolic function and health of captive giant pandas.
Highlights
The exclusive bamboo diet of giant pandas (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) is unique within the Order Carnivora and well documented in the literature
Using both Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) and Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectrometry (NMR) metabolomic analysis, we examined the metabolites of the blood serum extracted from captive giant pandas which were fed diets of different composition
A principal component analysis (PCA) was applied to the serum spectral data to investigate the correlations between the three groups
Summary
The exclusive bamboo diet of giant pandas (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) is unique within the Order Carnivora and well documented in the literature. More than one kind of bamboo species is available for pandas for the most time of a year Due to such factors as season, transportation, weather, etc., captive giant pandas are generally provided with only one species of bamboo. For NMR sample preparation, the sample pre-treatment is simple or even unnecessary under certain conditions, it is non-destructive and will not affect the structure or property of the samples[16, 17], NMR has low sensitivity In comparison, both types of MS have feature high efficiency, great sensitivity, qualitative and quantitative determination, and can detect and identify multiple metabolites in a complex mixture. The nutrient digestibility, metabolomic data and biochemical indicators were collected for these animals All of these parameters may provide a biological explanation for the metabolism and general health of pandas in response to consuming different plant parts of bamboo
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