Abstract
ABSTRACT To establish reference values for biochemical analytes related to freshwater shortage adaptation, a total of 376 blood samples were collected from feral sheep at Socorro Island, Revillagigedo Archipelago. Year-round variation was assessed by sampling at the beginning of each season defined by the March equinox, June solstice, September equinox, and December solstice. The resulting data set was analyzed using Gaussian distribution and descriptive statistics. Confidence intervals of 95% were established. Analysis of variance was used to compare the mean values of each season. Total cholesterol, triglycerides, urea, albumin, total protein, sodium ion, anion gap, creatine kinase, arginine vasopressin, and aldosterone showed concentrations above the reference range for domestic sheep. Triglycerides, urea, albumin, sodium ion, and aldosterone showed concentrations within the reference range for domestic goats. Most biochemical analytes showed differences (P<0.05) between seasons, with the highest values occurring during winter, and the lowest during spring. Results could help improve the accuracy of metabolic profiles used as a tool for evaluating dehydration indicators, and to describe the physiological mechanisms employed by feral sheep to cope with seasonal availability of freshwater.
Highlights
The limited availability of water for livestock has been a growing problem in some parts of the world, with droughts becoming more widespread and worsening due to climate change (Bernabucci, 2019)
The enzyme profile: Creatine kinase (CK) concentration was slightly above the reference range for sheep, and the hormone profile: Arginine vasopressin (AVP) and Aldo concentrations were above the reference range for sheep
In this sense, increased concentrations of biochemical analytes such as COL-T, TAG, urea, ALB, PROT-T, Na+, CK, AVP, and Aldo in the blood of small ruminants have been considered as indicators of dehydration
Summary
The limited availability of water for livestock has been a growing problem in some parts of the world, with droughts becoming more widespread and worsening due to climate change (Bernabucci, 2019) It has been difficult for livestock in drought-prone areas to meet their food and fresh water needs for optimal health and production (Rust, 2019). The prolonged isolation allowed the sheep population to develop traits adapted to unfavorable environmental conditions (Pickering et al, 2013). This chain of events provided unique traits and exceptional scientific value to the flock (Newsome, 2014). The Chamber of Deputies in Mexico approved the extermination of the feral sheep on the island (Ortiz et al, 2016). This measure was instrumented after findings by Evans III et al (2015) and Ortiz et al (2016)
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