Serum concentrations of lipids, vitamins A and E, vitamin D metabolites, and carotenoids in nine primate species at four zoos

The purpose of this work was to measure important nutritional status parame ters for captive primates, compare those with published data, and look for a link with diet. The nutritional status of nine captive primate species wa s examined using biochemical analysis. The species were spider monkeys (Ate les geoffroyi), colobus monkeys (Colobus guereza), sooty mangabeys (Cercoce bus torquatus), Schmidt's monkeys (Cercopithecus ascanius), mandrills (Papi o sphinx), baboons (Papio cynocephalus), chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes), ora ngutans (Pongo pygmaeus), and gorillas (Gorrilla gorilla). Diet information was collected by survey and the estimated nutritional composition of the d iet for each species at each institution was compared with non-human primat e nutrient requirements. On the average, the captive primates received diet s that met or exceeded recommended dietary guidelines for vitamins A, D, an d E for non-human primates. Blood samples were collected from 94 primates h eld at Brookfield Zoo, Fort Worth Zoo, Lincoln Park Zoological Gardens, and -North Carolina Zoological Park and analyzed for lipids, vitamins A and E, D metabolites, and carotenoids. Several species showed differences among to es for some nutrients, but values from any one zoo were not consistently lo wer. When monkeys were compared with great apes, monkeys had lower serum to tal cholesterol, triacylglyceride, and measured LDL cholesterol levels, but significantly higher vitamin D metabolite levels. Species differences were found for serum A, E, and carotenoid levels (with the exception of lycopen e). Some differences were seen in serum retinol, retinyl palmitate and gamm a-tocopherol. The relatively large number of animals contributing to this d atabase and the fact that the data were collected from four toes provide a substantial base for comparing nutritional status. Comparisons of these ser um levels with previously published values for selected primates and humans revealed some differences. (C) 1999 Wiley-Liss, Inc.