PLASMA CONCENTRATIONS OF VITAMIN E IN SIX SPECIES OF BUSTARD (GRUIFORMES: OTIDIDAE)

Vitamin E (measured as α-tocopherol) and cholesterol concentrations were determined in plasma samples collected from 86 clinically healthy captive adult bustards of six species and 23 captive juveniles (6–12 mo old) of two of these species. Adult houbara bustards (Chlamydotis undulata macqueenii) had higher plasma α-tocopherol concentrations than juveniles (adult: mean ± SE, 11.07 ± 0.41 μg/ml, n = 32; juvenile: 6.33 ± 0.48, n = 12) and higher α-tocopherol : cholesterol ratios (adult: 6.09 ± 0.44, n = 12; juvenile: 2.94 ± 0.22, n = 11). No age difference was evident for kori bustard (Ardeotis kori) plasma α-tocopherol concentrations (adult: 4.43 ± 0.42, n = 21; juvenile: 4.46 ± 0.26, n = 11) or α-tocopherol : cholesterol ratios (adult: 3.67 ± 0.44, n = 20; juvenile: 3.71 ± 0.36, n = 11). Adult houbara bustards had significantly higher (P < 0.01) α-tocopherol concentrations compared with adult rufouscrested (Eupodotis ruficrista; 6.64 ± 0.33, n = 19) and white-bellied (Eupodotis senegalensis; 7.75 ± 0.81, ...