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Antioxidant defences and lipid peroxidation in wild White Storks, Ciconia ciconia, from Spain

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Abstract

Despite the ecological importance of the White Stork, Ciconia ciconia, and its wide distribution in southern Europe, knowledge of the impact of long-term exposure to pollution in its wild populations is still scarce. As a first step towards contributing to addressing this question, the baseline values of anti-oxidant parameters and peroxidation levels were determined in wild White Storks, and possible differences related to age were investigated. Superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase, glutathione reductase, glutathione S-transferase, total glutathione, reduced and oxidised glutathione ratio and lipid peroxidation were determined. Superoxide dismutase activity and the level of total glutathione were statistically higher in adult compared to juvenile storks. The reduced and oxidised glutathione ratio and the lipid peroxidation level followed also the same trend, although no significant differences were found between adults and juveniles. On the contrary, catalase and glutathione peroxidase showed low activities in adults when compared to juvenile storks. Finally, glutathione reductase and glutathione S-transferase activities were similar in two groups of birds studied. Thus, it can be concluded that the period of enzymatic activity in adolescence in wild White Storks is very important in forming the organism’s response to environmental stress.

Zusammenfassung

Antioxidantien-Abwehr und Lipidperoxidation bei freilebenden Weißstörchen ( Ciconia ciconia ) in Spanien

Trotz seiner ökologischen Bedeutung und weiten Verbreitung in Südeuropa weiss man nicht viel über die Auswirkungen von Langfrist-Belastungen durch Umweltverschmutzung auf freilebende Weißstorch-Populationen. Als ersten Schritt zur Untersuchung dieser Frage bestimmten wir die Normalwerte der Antioxidantien- und Peroxidations-Parameter in freilebenden Störchen und untersuchten mögliche altersabhängige Unterschiede. Konkret angeschaut wurden Superoxid Dismutase, Katalase, Glutathion-Peroxidase, Glutathion-Reduktase, Glutathion-S-Transferase, Gesamt-Glutathion, das Verhältnis von reduziertem zu oxidiertem Glutathion und Lipidperoxidation. Bei adulten Tieren lagen die Superoxid Dismutase-Aktivität sowie der Gesamt-Glutathion-Spiegel statistisch signifikant höher als bei Jungvögeln. Auch das Verhältnis von reduziertem zu oxidiertem Glutathion und die Lipidperoxidation zeigten diesen Trend, die Unterschiede zwischen adulten und jungen Tieren waren jedoch nicht signifikant. Im Gegensatz dazu zeigten Katalase und Glutathion-Peroxidase bei adulten Tieren geringere Aktivität als bei Jungstörchen. Glutathion-Reduktase und Glutathion-S-Transferase zeigten in beiden untersuchten Vogelgruppen ähnliche Aktivitäten. Aus diesen Ergebnissen kann geschlossen werden, dass für erwachsene, freilebende Weißstörche enzymatische Aktivitäten von großer Bedeutung für die Reaktion auf Umweltstress sind.

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Acknowledgments

This study was supported by Consejería de Economía, Comercio e Innovación de la Junta de Extremadura (Spain) and by EU (FEDER program). The assays complied with the current laws of Spain. Special thanks to the staff of “Los Hornos” Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre property of Consejería de Agricultura, Desarrollo Rural, Medio Ambiente y Energía (Gobierno de Extremadura, Spain).

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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Toxicology Area, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Extremadura, Avda. de la Universidad s/n, P.O. Box 643, 10003, Caceres, Spain

    Ana-Lourdes Oropesa & Francisco Soler

  2. Laboratory of Ecotoxicology and Ecology, CIIMAR–Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, University of Porto, Rua dos Bragas, 289, 4050-123, Porto, Portugal

    Carlos Gravato & Lúcia Guilhermino

  3. Laboratory of Ecotoxicology, Department of Populations Studies, ICBAS–Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas de Abel Salazar, University of Porto, Lg. Prof. Abel Salazar, 2, 4099-003, Porto, Portugal

    Lúcia Guilhermino

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  1. Ana-Lourdes Oropesa
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  2. Carlos Gravato
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  3. Lúcia Guilhermino
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  4. Francisco Soler
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Correspondence to Ana-Lourdes Oropesa.

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Communicated by K. C. Klasing.

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Oropesa, AL., Gravato, C., Guilhermino, L. et al. Antioxidant defences and lipid peroxidation in wild White Storks, Ciconia ciconia, from Spain. J Ornithol 154, 971–976 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10336-013-0964-1

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