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POSTER ABSTRACT Diet, carotenoids and oxidative balance in four penguin species: an interspecific comparison Colominas-Ciuró, R.1, Carabajal, E.2, D'Amico, V. L.2, Bertellotti, M.2, Benzal, J.3, Vidal, V.1, Motas, M.4, Santos, M.5, Coria, N.5, Barbosa, A.1 1 Dpto. Ecología Evolutiva, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (CSIC), Spain, 2Centro Nacional Patagónico (CONICET), Puerto Madryn, Argentina, 3Depto. Ecología Funcional y Evolutiva, Estación Experimental de Zonas Áridas (CSIC), Spain, 4Área de Toxicología, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad de Murcia, Spain, 5Instituto Antártico Argentino – División Biología, Cerrito 1248 (1010), Bueno Aires, Argentina Nutrition influences the physiology of the organisms in several ways. The diet is a source of antioxidants that mitigate reactive oxygen species (ROS) damage. ROS are produced by normal metabolic activities (e.g. aerobic cell respiration) and, according to the free radical theory, damage biomolecules (e.g. lipids, proteins and DNA) unless quashed by antioxidants. Therefore, the disturbance in the pro-oxidant-antioxidant balance in favour of the former leads oxidative stress. Dietary antioxidants (e.g. vitamins and carotenoids) perform a main role in the whole antioxidant network and, for example, because of the impossibility to synthesis carotenoids by the birds, its efficiency may thus be affected by its diet. Krill is a main prey item for Antarctic Pygoscelis penguins: 70% (P. papua), 86% (P. antarcticus), 99.9% (P. adeliae) of the whole diet. It is rich in astaxanthin which has antioxidative properties being more active than other carotenoids. In contrast, Magellanic penguin (S. magellanicus) currently studied at Valdés Peninsula, account for 90 or more percent of anchovies (E. anchoita) in its diet. Quantification of ROS, oxidative damage and antioxidant capacity has attracted the attention to understand inter and intraspecific life-history variations. Hence, comparisons between species, sexes, populations, etc. are necessary. Our goal is to study the relationships between the diet, carotenoid concentration and oxidative stress. Diet was determined by means of stable isotope analyses, carotenoid concentration was determined by HPLC analyses and oxidative stress was accounted by analysing the oxidative damage (ROM) and the antioxidant capacity (OXY). Our results pointed out interspecific differences and that diet as showed by the trophic level could influence oxidative stress and the antioxidant defences. 9th International Penguin Congress, Cape Town, South Africa, 5th – 9th September 2016
