Determinação de danos basais no DNA de araras canindé (Ara ararauna) através do Teste de Micronúcleos: uma ferramenta na avaliação da saúde animal e seu uso no biomonitoramento da poluição ambiental Determination of basal damages in the DNA of araras canindé (Ara ararauna) through the Micronucleus Test: tool in the evaluation of the animal health and its use in the monitors of the ambient pollution

Brazil is known by its biodiversity, especially in terms of its avifauna. Ara ararauna is a psitacideo with large distri- bution within the national territory. Several pathologies can affect these bird species; however, the studies related to Brazilian birds are much reduced. The exposition of different environmental agents, like industrial, domestic and agricultural dejection, can be responsible for some of these pathologies. These pollutants with antropogenical origin endanger the survival, reproduc- tion and also the genetic patrimony of the exposed organisms by the mutation induction. Due to the growing need of species that can be used as biomonitors of environmental genotoxicity, besides the biodiversity preservation, the objective of this paper was to determine the basal level of the micronucleus (spontaneous micronucleated erythrocytes) in Ara ararauna. In relation to the micronucleus test performed in 27 birds of the specie Ara ararauna, we verified that the average of micronucleus per bird is relatively low (0,38/2000 cells. Exemplars with pathologic changes present medium values of 4,5 micronucleus/2000 cells. Besides the basal pattern to be determined for future evaluation of animal health, it was verified that this specie could be used as monitors for genotoxic events.