TY - JOUR
T1 - Exploring immunoglobulin A as a stress biomarker in lions (Panthera leo)
T2 - Validation of an immunoassay for its measurement in feces
AU - Serres-Corral, Paula
AU - Olvera-Maneu, Sergi
AU - Almagro, Vanessa
AU - Carbonell, Loles
AU - Borragán, Santiago
AU - Martínez-Nevado, Eva
AU - Quevedo, Miguel Angel
AU - Fernández-Bellon, Hugo
AU - Carbajal, Annaïs
AU - López-Béjar, Manel
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2024 Elsevier Inc.
PY - 2025/1
Y1 - 2025/1
N2 - Immunoglobulin A (IgA) has been investigated as a stress biomarker with the potential to complement glucocorticoid measurements in welfare assessments. This study aimed to develop the methodology and validate an enzyme immunoassay (EIA) for quantifying IgA in feces (FIgA) of lions (Panthera leo), investigate excretion patterns of FIgA under baseline conditions in captive lions, and explore its relationship with fecal glucocorticoid metabolites (FGM). Feces were collected from 11 lions housed in stable social groups at four Spanish zoos over a period of two to six weeks. FIgA was reliably quantified using a commercial EIA, with concentrations ranging from 0.28 to 794.17 μg IgA/g feces, showing substantial intra- and inter-individual variability. Females had significantly higher FIgA concentrations than males (113.10 vs 54.96 μg IgA/g feces; p < 0.01). Additionally, FIgA concentrations varied across zoos (p < 0.001). Positive correlations were found between FIgA and FGM for all samples combined (rho = 0.43, p < 0.001) and across individual means (rho = 0.70, p < 0.05), but not consistently when examining each lion separately. This study demonstrates for the first time that IgA can be reliably quantified in lion feces, paving the way for its application in welfare studies.
AB - Immunoglobulin A (IgA) has been investigated as a stress biomarker with the potential to complement glucocorticoid measurements in welfare assessments. This study aimed to develop the methodology and validate an enzyme immunoassay (EIA) for quantifying IgA in feces (FIgA) of lions (Panthera leo), investigate excretion patterns of FIgA under baseline conditions in captive lions, and explore its relationship with fecal glucocorticoid metabolites (FGM). Feces were collected from 11 lions housed in stable social groups at four Spanish zoos over a period of two to six weeks. FIgA was reliably quantified using a commercial EIA, with concentrations ranging from 0.28 to 794.17 μg IgA/g feces, showing substantial intra- and inter-individual variability. Females had significantly higher FIgA concentrations than males (113.10 vs 54.96 μg IgA/g feces; p < 0.01). Additionally, FIgA concentrations varied across zoos (p < 0.001). Positive correlations were found between FIgA and FGM for all samples combined (rho = 0.43, p < 0.001) and across individual means (rho = 0.70, p < 0.05), but not consistently when examining each lion separately. This study demonstrates for the first time that IgA can be reliably quantified in lion feces, paving the way for its application in welfare studies.
KW - Animal welfare
KW - Fecal immunoglobulin A
KW - Glucocorticoids
KW - Lion
KW - Non-invasive
KW - Stress
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85206246507&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - https://www.mendeley.com/catalogue/dda17837-6ce3-38be-b2fe-25802132d39f/
U2 - 10.1016/j.cbpa.2024.111762
DO - 10.1016/j.cbpa.2024.111762
M3 - Article
C2 - 39395752
AN - SCOPUS:85206246507
SN - 1095-6433
VL - 299
JO - Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology -Part A : Molecular and Integrative Physiology
JF - Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology -Part A : Molecular and Integrative Physiology
M1 - 111762
ER -