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Vitamin a Metabolism in Recessive White Canaries

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 January 2023

P Wolf ,
T Bartels ,
H-P Sallmann ,
K Heisler  and
J Kamphues
P Wolf*
Affiliation:
Institute of Animal Nutrition, The Hannover School of Veterinary Medicine, Bischofsholer Damm 15, D-30173 Hannover, Germany
H-P Sallmann
Affiliation:
Institute for Biochemistry, The Hannover School of Veterinary Medicine, Hannover, Germany
K Heisler
Affiliation:
Institute of Animal Nutrition, The Hannover School of Veterinary Medicine, Bischofsholer Damm 15, D-30173 Hannover, Germany
J Kamphues
Affiliation:
Institute of Animal Nutrition, The Hannover School of Veterinary Medicine, Bischofsholer Damm 15, D-30173 Hannover, Germany
*
† Contact for correspondence and requests for reprints
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Abstract

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In recent years, a possible defect in vitamin A metabolism in recessive white canaries (Serinus canaria,) has been repeatedly discussed. It has widely been accepted that a reduced absorption of carotenoids from the small intestine results in an insufficient synthesis of vitamin A. Moreover, the uptake of vitamin A from the lower intestine has also been discussed.

The aim of the present study was to investigate the utilization of ß-carotene and vitamin A by recessive white canaries (in comparison to coloured ones) as well as to quantify the accretion of vitamin A in the liver and vitamin A levels in plasma and fat tissues of canaries fed different doses of ß-carotene (≍ 6000iu vitamin A kg−1 diet) vs vitamin A (6000 or 18 000iu kg−1 diet).

The results were as follows:

  • i) coloured canaries supplied exclusively with ß-carotene maintained normal vitamin A levels in the liver. These data indicated that conversion rates of ß-carotene to vitamin A (as established for poultry) were appropriate;

  • ii) recessive white canaries were totally unable to utilize ß-carotene (based on vitamin A levels in blood, liver and fat);

  • iii) in comparison to coloured canaries, their efficiency in utilizing retinol was significantly lower. They needed three times the vitamin A intake of coloured canaries to achieve the same vitamin A levels in the liver;

  • iv) plasma vitamin A levels in coloured canaries did not reflect the vitamin A supply, but this blood level could be used to determine vitamin A status in recessive white birds.

Recommendations of vitamin A supplements for recessive white canaries should be given based on these data.

Keywords

animal welfareß-caroteneliverpet birdsrecessive white canariesvitamin A
Type
Research Article
Information
Animal Welfare , Volume 9 , Issue 2 , May 2000 , pp. 153 - 165
Copyright
© 2000 Universities Federation for Animal Welfare

Footnotes

2

Present address: Institute of Animal Breeding, University of Berne, Switzerland

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