Md. Fraser et Jm. Moorby, PLASMA BIOCHEMICAL VALUES IN THE GUANACO (LAMA-GUANICOE) AND A COMPARISON WITH THE SHEEP, Animal Science, 66, 1998, pp. 209-216
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.