PLASMA BIOCHEMICAL VALUES IN THE GUANACO (LAMA-GUANICOE) AND A COMPARISON WITH THE SHEEP

An initial experiment was conducted to investigate the variability of selected metabolites in the plasma from guanacos. A second experiment directly compared plasma biochemical values for guanacos with those fo r sheep. During the first experiment, jugular blood samples were colle cted from five mature castrated guanacos using an embedded experimenta l design. Weekly blood samples were collected at the same time (09.00 h) on the same day each week for 7 weeks. Daily blood samples were col lected at the same rime each day (09.00 h) during week 5. On day 2 of week 5, blood samples were collected every 3 h from 09.00 h for a 24-h period. No evidence of a cyclical pattern of plasma parameters was ob served on a weekly, daily or 3-h basis. During the second experiment, the metabolic profiles of 11 mature castrated guanacos and II mature b arren ewes (Merino X Welsh Mountain) were compared. Significant differ ences in plasma concentrations of all metabolites except urea-nitrogen (guanacos-15 .42 mmol/l, sheep - 15.60 (s.e.d. 1.506) mmol/l) were fo und with values for guanacos v. sheep as follows: glucose (7.63 v. 3.6 3 (s.e.d. 0.268) mmol/l); acetate (0.26 v. 0.48 (s.e.d. 0.035) mmol/l) ; beta-hydroxybutyrate (0.06 v. 0.50 (s.e.d. 0.019) mmol/l); albumin ( 33.4 v. 29.5 (s.e.d. 0.93) g/l); and total protein (53.8 v. 65.6 (s.e. d. 2.12) g/l); (P < 0.001 for all previous variables); non-esterified fatty acids (0.48 v. 0.29 (s.e.d. 0.048) meg per l; P < 0.01) and alph a-amino N (2.44 v. 2.66 (s.e.d. 0.088) mmol/l; P < 0.05). This study i ndicates that the reference plasma metabolite concentrations of sheep are nor suitable alternatives for use for nutritional or veterinary pu rposes with guanacos, but those of llamas or alpacas are. The results also suggest that energy capture and transport in camelids may be mark edly different om that in conventional ruminants.