Serum Biochemical Profile of Captive Asian Elephants (Elephas maximus) in Tamil Nadu, India

Abstract

The experiment was carried out in 46 apparently health captive elephants maintained in different parts of Tamil Nadu, India during the period from August 2020 to April 2021 to assess and evolve the baseline reference values for serum biochemical parameters in captive Asian elephants raised in the Tamil Nadu state of India.As part of the periodical health assessment, blood samples were collected from auricular vein for 46 apparently healthy captive Asian elephants maintained in Tamil Nadu, India. Biochemical analyses were performed using auto biochemical analyzer using commercial kits as per the recommendations of the manufacturer. The mean±SE, lower and upper value, 95% and 99% of confidence interval of the serum biochemistry parameters comprised of glucose, total protein, albumin, globulin, cholesterol, blood urea nitrogen (BUN), creatinine, total bilirubin, direct bilirubin, calcium, phosphorus, and magnesium, serum enzymes AST, ALT, ALP, CK, GGT and LDH were evaluated. The observed values were found to be within the normal ranges reported for the captive elephants and there were no significant differences observed between the age groups. These serum biochemical values would serve as baseline reference to evaluate the health and clinical conditions of captive elephant populations, as well as for planning health care measures in elephants of this region and adjoining areas.