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Marton A, Vágási CI, Vincze O, Bókony V, Pap PL, Pătraș L, Pénzes J, Bărbos L, Fülöp A, Osváth G, Ducatez S, Giraudeau M. Oxidative physiology is weakly associated with pigmentation in birds. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e9177. [PMID: 35979521 PMCID: PMC9366753 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.9177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2022] [Revised: 07/07/2022] [Accepted: 07/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The mechanistic link between avian oxidative physiology and plumage coloration has attracted considerable attention in past decades. Hence, multiple proximal hypotheses were proposed to explain how oxidative state might covary with the production of melanin and carotenoid pigments. Some hypotheses underscore that these pigments (or their precursors, e.g., glutathione) have antioxidant capacities or function as molecules storing the toxic excess of intracellular compounds, while others highlight that these pigments can act as pro-oxidants under specific conditions. Most studies addressing these associations are at the intraspecific level, while phylogenetic comparative studies are still scarce, though needed to assess the generality of these associations. Here, we tested whether plumage and bare part coloration were related to oxidative physiology at an interspecific level by measuring five oxidative physiology markers (three nonenzymatic antioxidants and two markers of lipid peroxidative damage) in 1387 individuals of 104 European bird species sampled during the breeding season, and by scoring plumage eumelanin, pheomelanin, and carotenoid content for each sex and species. Only the plasma level of reactive oxygen metabolites was related to melanin coloration, being positively associated with eumelanin score and negatively with pheomelanin score. Thus, our results do not support the role of antioxidant glutathione in driving variation in melanin synthesis across species. Furthermore, the carotenoid scores of feathers and bare parts were unrelated to the measured oxidative physiology parameters, further suggesting that the marked differences in pigmentation across birds does not influence their oxidative state.
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Affiliation(s)
- Attila Marton
- Evolutionary Ecology Group, Hungarian Department of Biology and EcologyBabeș‐Bolyai UniversityCluj‐NapocaRomania
- Department of Evolutionary Zoology and Human BiologyUniversity of DebrecenDebrecenHungary
| | - Csongor I. Vágási
- Evolutionary Ecology Group, Hungarian Department of Biology and EcologyBabeș‐Bolyai UniversityCluj‐NapocaRomania
| | - Orsolya Vincze
- Evolutionary Ecology Group, Hungarian Department of Biology and EcologyBabeș‐Bolyai UniversityCluj‐NapocaRomania
- Institute of Aquatic EcologyCentre for Ecological ResearchDebrecenHungary
| | - Veronika Bókony
- Lendület Evolutionary Ecology Research GroupPlant Protection Institute, Centre for Agricultural Research, Eötvös Loránd Research NetworkBudapestHungary
| | - Péter L. Pap
- Evolutionary Ecology Group, Hungarian Department of Biology and EcologyBabeș‐Bolyai UniversityCluj‐NapocaRomania
| | - Laura Pătraș
- Department of Molecular Biology and BiotechnologyBabeş‐Bolyai UniversityCluj‐NapocaRomania
| | - Janka Pénzes
- Evolutionary Ecology Group, Hungarian Department of Biology and EcologyBabeș‐Bolyai UniversityCluj‐NapocaRomania
| | - Lőrinc Bărbos
- Milvus Group Bird and Nature Protection AssociationTârgu MureșRomania
| | - Attila Fülöp
- Evolutionary Ecology Group, Hungarian Department of Biology and EcologyBabeș‐Bolyai UniversityCluj‐NapocaRomania
- MTA‐DE Behavioural Ecology Research Group, Department of Evolutionary Zoology and Human BiologyUniversity of DebrecenDebrecenHungary
| | - Gergely Osváth
- Evolutionary Ecology Group, Hungarian Department of Biology and EcologyBabeș‐Bolyai UniversityCluj‐NapocaRomania
- Museum of ZoologyBabeş‐Bolyai UniversityCluj‐NapocaRomania
| | - Simon Ducatez
- Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD) – UMR 241 EIO (UPF, IRD, Ifremer, ILM)TahitiFrench Polynesia
| | - Mathieu Giraudeau
- Littoral Environnement et Sociétés (LIENSs), UMR 7266 CNRS – La Rochelle UniversitéLa RochelleFrance
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2
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Těšický M, Krajzingrová T, Eliáš J, Velová H, Svobodová J, Bauerová P, Albrecht T, Vinkler M. Inter-annual repeatability and age-dependent changes in plasma testosterone levels in a longitudinally monitored free-living passerine bird. Oecologia 2021; 198:53-66. [PMID: 34800165 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-021-05077-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2020] [Accepted: 11/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
While seasonal trends in testosterone levels are known from cross-cohort studies, data on testosterone inter-annual individual repeatability in wild birds are rare. Also, our understanding of hormonal age-dependent changes in testosterone levels is limited. We assessed plasma testosterone levels in 105 samples originating from 49 repeatedly captured free-living great tits (Parus major) sampled during the nesting to investigate their relative long-term repeatability and within-individual changes. Furthermore, we examined the inter-annual repeatability of condition-related traits (carotenoid- and melanin-based plumage ornamentation, ptilochronological feather growth rate, body mass, and haematological heterophil/lymphocyte ratio) and their relationships to testosterone levels. We show that testosterone levels are inter-annually repeatable in females, with a non-significant pattern in males, both in absolute values and individual ranks (indicating the maintenance of relative status in a population). In males, we found a quadratic dependence of testosterone levels on age, with a peak in midlife. In contrast, female testosterone levels showed no age-dependent trends. The inter-annual repeatability of condition-related traits ranged from zero to moderate and was mostly unrelated to plasma testosterone concentrations. However, males with elevated testosterone had significantly higher carotenoid-pigmented yellow plumage brightness, a trait presumably involved in mating. Showing inter-annual repeatability in testosterone levels, this research opens the way to further understanding the causes of variation in condition-related traits. Based on a longitudinal dataset, this study demonstrates that male plasma testosterone undergoes age-related changes that may regulate resource allocation. Our results thus suggest that, unlike females, male birds undergo hormonal senescence similar to mammals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Těšický
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Viničná 7, 128 43, Prague, Czech Republic.
| | - Tereza Krajzingrová
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Viničná 7, 128 43, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Jiří Eliáš
- Department of Ecology, Faculty of Environmental Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences, Kamýcká 129, 165 00, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Hana Velová
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Viničná 7, 128 43, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Jana Svobodová
- Department of Ecology, Faculty of Environmental Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences, Kamýcká 129, 165 00, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Petra Bauerová
- Department of Ecology, Faculty of Environmental Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences, Kamýcká 129, 165 00, Prague, Czech Republic.,Division of Air Quality, Czech Hydrometeorological Institute, Tušimice Observatory, Tušimice 6, 432 01, Kadaň, Czech Republic
| | - Tomáš Albrecht
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Viničná 7, 128 43, Prague, Czech Republic.,Institute of Vertebrate Biology, v.v.i., The Czech Academy of Sciences, Květná 8, 603 65, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Michal Vinkler
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Viničná 7, 128 43, Prague, Czech Republic
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3
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Perrett DI, Talamas SN, Cairns P, Henderson AJ. Skin Color Cues to Human Health: Carotenoids, Aerobic Fitness, and Body Fat. Front Psychol 2020; 11:392. [PMID: 32218759 PMCID: PMC7078114 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.00392] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2019] [Accepted: 02/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Colorful carotenoid ornaments are sexually selected signals of health in many species. In humans too, carotenoids could provide a perceptible cue to health as they impart an attractive yellow-orange color to skin. Increasing carotenoid pigmentation and skin yellowness is associated with increased fruit and vegetable intake, but whether other aspects of human health benefit skin color is unknown. Carotenoids, as antioxidants, help maintain oxidative balance but are expended in this role. Therefore, any health factor affecting oxidative balance could alter the quantity of carotenoids available to color skin. Exercise increases endogenous antioxidant capacity and consequently may decrease expenditure of carotenoids. Fitness could also raise skin carotenoids by lowering body fat (a source of oxidative stress). Here we investigate the relationship between skin color (measured spectrophotometrically), aerobic fitness (measured by estimating the maximum volume of oxygen that a person can use per unit of time, VO2 max), and body fat. In a cross-sectional design, we find that both higher aerobic fitness and lower body fat are predictors of skin yellowness, independent of each other and dietary fruit and vegetable intake. In a longitudinal design over 8 weeks, we found that increase in fitness and decrease in body fat were independently associated with an increase in skin yellowness. Change in self-reported stress and sleep were further predictors of skin yellowness indicating a more general relation between health and skin tone. Simulations of the skin color associated with higher fitness were found to appear healthier. Hence, our results suggest that increasing cardiovascular fitness and decreasing fat levels produce a healthier skin color. Such findings have repercussions for public health because improved attractiveness can provide an incentive for a healthier lifestyle, including exercise and weight regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- David I Perrett
- School of Psychology and Neuroscience, Faculty of Science, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, United Kingdom
| | - Sean N Talamas
- School of Psychology and Neuroscience, Faculty of Science, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, United Kingdom
| | - Patrick Cairns
- School of Psychology and Neuroscience, Faculty of Science, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, United Kingdom
| | - Audrey J Henderson
- School of Psychology and Neuroscience, Faculty of Science, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, United Kingdom
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4
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Mohr AE, Girard M, Rowe M, McGraw KJ, Sweazea KL. Varied effects of dietary carotenoid supplementation on oxidative damage in tissues of two waterfowl species. Comp Biochem Physiol B Biochem Mol Biol 2019; 231:67-74. [PMID: 30794961 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpb.2019.02.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2018] [Revised: 02/11/2019] [Accepted: 02/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Carotenoids are regarded as a cornerstone of avian vitality and coloration. Currently, the antioxidant potential of dietary carotenoids is debated for birds. Although some studies support a protective role, others report either no effect or pro-oxidant effects. However, the majority of research on this topic has not analyzed the oxidative status of a series of tissues in animals nor considered a range of carotenoid dosages. We investigated the effects of three levels of carotenoid supplementation on plasma, liver, adipose, heart and breast muscle oxidative damage in two congeneric species of waterfowl that exhibit marked differences in carotenoid coloration. After a 6-week depletion period, captive adult northern pintail (Anas acuta) and mallard (A. platyrhynchos) ducks of both sexes were fed either a carotenoid-depleted diet (<3 μg/g xanthophylls, lutein and zeaxanthin), a carotenoid-supplemented diet (50 μg/g) within physiological range, or a carotenoid-rich diet (100 μg/g) within pharmacological range for 22 to 32 weeks. We hypothesized that these dosages of dietary carotenoids would differentially affect oxidative damage between species and sexes and among the tissues examined. We found that dietary xanthophyll supplementation had no significant effect on tissue pro-oxidation in males and females from both species. Moreover, sex or species differences in oxidative stress were only observed in two tissues (plasma and heart). Significant correlations in the levels of oxidative damage were not observed among the tissues examined. In conclusion, the current study does not support a consistent antioxidant role for dietary carotenoids in the tissues of these two waterfowl species. Instead, our results align with the notion that carotenoids play complex, tissue- and species-specific roles in oxidative status in birds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alex E Mohr
- College of Health Solutions, Arizona State University, Phoenix, AZ, United States of America
| | - Marc Girard
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, United States of America
| | - Melissah Rowe
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, United States of America; Natural History Museum, University of Oslo, 0562 Oslo, Norway; Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis, Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, 0316 Oslo, Norway
| | - Kevin J McGraw
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, United States of America
| | - Karen L Sweazea
- College of Health Solutions, Arizona State University, Phoenix, AZ, United States of America; School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, United States of America.
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Cao WT, Zeng FF, Li BL, Lin JS, Liang YY, Chen YM. Higher dietary carotenoid intake associated with lower risk of hip fracture in middle-aged and elderly Chinese: A matched case-control study. Bone 2018; 111:116-122. [PMID: 29605302 DOI: 10.1016/j.bone.2018.03.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2017] [Revised: 03/22/2018] [Accepted: 03/26/2018] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Mechanism studies have suggested that carotenoids may benefit bone health due to their antioxidant properties, but epidemiological data on their effects on risk of hip fracture are sparse. PURPOSE To explore the relationships between dietary total and specific carotenoids and the risk of hip fracture in a middle-aged and elderly Chinese population. DESIGN A case-control study of 1070 patients with hip fractures (diagnosed within 2 weeks) aged 55-80 years and 1070 age- (within 3 years) and gender-matched controls was conducted in Guangdong, China between 2009 and 2015. Information on dietary carotenoid intake was assessed using a 79-item food frequency questionnaire administered in face-to-face interviews, and general information was collected using structured questionnaires. The univariate and multivariate conditional logistic regression models were applied to analyze the associations. MAIN RESULTS Higher intakes of both total and some specific carotenoids (including β-carotene, β-cryptoxanthin and lutein/zeaxanthin) were significantly associated with a lower risk of hip fracture (all p trends <0.01). Compared with the lowest quartile of carotenoids, the multivariate-adjusted odds ratios and 95% confidential intervals of the highest quartile were 0.44 (0.29, 0.68) (total carotenoids), 0.50 (0.29, 0.69) (β-carotene), 0.55 (0.38, 0.80) (β-cryptoxanthin) and 0.40 (0.27, 0.59) (lutein/zeaxanthin), respectively. There were no statistically significant associations between α-carotene and lycopene intakes and hip fracture risk after adjustment for various confounding variables. CONCLUSION These results suggest that the consumption of carotenoids may be protective against hip fracture in middle-aged and elderly Chinese adults.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wen-Ting Cao
- Department of Medical Statistics and Epidemiology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Food, Nutrition and Health, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China
| | - Fang-Fang Zeng
- Department of Medical Statistics and Epidemiology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Food, Nutrition and Health, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China; Department of Epidemiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China
| | - Bao-Lin Li
- Guangzhou Orthopaedics Trauma Hospital, Guangzhou 510045, China
| | - Jie-Sheng Lin
- Department of Medical Statistics and Epidemiology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Food, Nutrition and Health, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China
| | - Ya-Yong Liang
- The Third Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510630, China.
| | - Yu-Ming Chen
- Department of Medical Statistics and Epidemiology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Food, Nutrition and Health, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China.
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6
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Cavraro F, Gheno G, Ganzerla R, Zucchetta M, Franzoi P, Malavasi S. Habitat constraints on carotenoid-based coloration in a small euryhaline teleost. Ecol Evol 2018; 8:4422-4430. [PMID: 29760884 PMCID: PMC5938449 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.4003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2017] [Revised: 01/08/2018] [Accepted: 02/11/2018] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Display of bright and striking color patterns is a widespread way of communication in many animal species. Carotenoid‐based coloration accounts for most of the bright yellow, orange, and red displays in invertebrates, fish, amphibians, reptiles, and birds, being widely considered a signal of individual health. This type of coloration is under the influence of several factors, such as sexual selection, predator pressure, pigment availability, and light transmission. Fish offer numerous examples of visual communication by means of color patterns. We used a small cyprinodontid fish, Aphanius fasciatus (Valenciennes, 1821), as a model species to assess habitat constraints on the color display in male caudal fin. Populations from natural and open/closed artificial habitats were tested for differences in the pigmentation of caudal fins. The most important factors explaining the intensity of coloration were the habitat type and the chlorophyll concentration in the sediment, followed by water turbidity; yellow fins were observed in natural habitats with low chlorophyll concentration and high water turbidity, while orange fins occurred in artificial habitats with high chlorophyll concentration and low turbidity. Furthermore, A. fasciatus in artificial habitats showed a higher somatic and a lower reproductive allotment with respect to natural habitats, according to the existing literature on the species. Furthermore, in closed artificial habitats, where the most intense reddish coloration of caudal fins was observed, a trade‐off between somatic growth and the coloration intensity of a carotenoid‐based sexual ornament has been observed; in these populations, intensity of caudal fin coloration was negatively related to the somatic allotment. Results of this study suggested how both the pigmentation of male's caudal fin and the life history strategies of the species are constrained by habitat characteristics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Cavraro
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Informatics and Statistics Ca' Foscari University Venice Venezia Mestre Italy
| | - Giulia Gheno
- Department of Molecular Sciences and Nanosystems Ca' Foscari University Venice Venezia Mestre Italy
| | - Renzo Ganzerla
- Department of Molecular Sciences and Nanosystems Ca' Foscari University Venice Venezia Mestre Italy
| | - Matteo Zucchetta
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Informatics and Statistics Ca' Foscari University Venice Venezia Mestre Italy
| | - Piero Franzoi
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Informatics and Statistics Ca' Foscari University Venice Venezia Mestre Italy
| | - Stefano Malavasi
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Informatics and Statistics Ca' Foscari University Venice Venezia Mestre Italy
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Carotenoids and risk of fracture: a meta-analysis of observational studies. Oncotarget 2018; 8:2391-2399. [PMID: 27911854 PMCID: PMC5356809 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.13678] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2016] [Accepted: 11/22/2016] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
To quantify the association between dietary and circulating carotenoids and fracture risk, a meta-analysis was conducted by searching MEDLINE and EMBASE databases for eligible articles published before May 2016. Five prospective and 2 case-control studies with 140,265 participants and 4,324 cases were identified in our meta-analysis. Among which 5 studies assessed the association between dietary carotenoids levels and hip fracture risk, 2 studies focused on the association between circulating carotenoids levels and any fracture risk. A random-effects model was employed to summarize the risk estimations and their 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Hip fracture risk among participants with high dietary total carotenoids intake was 28% lower than that in participants with low dietary total carotenoids (OR: 0.72; 95% CI: 0.51, 1.01). A similar risk of hip fracture was found for β-carotene based on 5 studies, the summarized OR for high vs. low dietary β-carotene was 0.72 (95% CI: 0.54, 0.95). However, a significant between-study heterogeneity was found (total carotene: I2 = 59.4%, P = 0.06; β-carotene: I2 = 74.4%, P = 0.04). Other individual carotenoids did not show significant associations with hip fracture risk. Circulating carotene levels had no significant association with any fracture risk, the pooled OR (95% CI) was 0.83 (0.59, 1.17). Based on the evidence from observational studies, our meta-analysis supported the hypothesis that higher dietary total carotenoids or β-carotene intake might be potentially associated with a low risk of hip fracture, however, future well-designed prospective cohort studies and randomized controlled trials are warranted to specify the associations between carotenoids and fracture.
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Tomášek O, Albrechtová J, Němcová M, Opatová P, Albrecht T. Trade-off between carotenoid-based sexual ornamentation and sperm resistance to oxidative challenge. Proc Biol Sci 2018; 284:rspb.2016.2444. [PMID: 28123091 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2016.2444] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2016] [Accepted: 01/03/2017] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
It has been hypothesized that carotenoid-based sexual ornamentation signals male fertility and sperm competitive ability as both ornamentation and sperm traits may be co-affected by oxidative stress, resulting in positive covariation (the 'redox-based phenotype-linked fertility hypothesis'; redox-based PLFH). On the other hand, the 'sperm competition theory' (SCT) predicts a trade-off between precopulatory and postcopulatory traits. Here, we manipulate oxidative status (using diquat dibromide) and carotenoid availability in adult zebra finch (Taeniopygia guttata) males in order to test whether carotenoid-based beak ornamentation signals, or is traded off against, sperm resistance to oxidative challenge. Initial beak colouration, but not its change during the experiment, was associated with effect of oxidative challenge on sperm velocity, such that more intense colouration predicted an increase in sperm velocity under control conditions but a decline under oxidative challenge. This suggests a long-term trade-off between ornament expression and sperm resistance to oxidative challenge. Shortening of the sperm midpiece following oxidative challenge further suggests that redox homeostasis may constrain sperm morphometry. Carotenoid supplementation resulted in fewer sperm abnormalities but had no effect on other sperm traits. Overall, our data challenge the redox-based PLFH, partially support the SCT and highlight the importance of carotenoids for normal sperm morphology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oldřich Tomášek
- Institute of Vertebrate Biology, The Czech Academy of Sciences, v.v.i., Květná 8, Brno 60365, Czech Republic .,Faculty of Science, Department of Zoology, Charles University, Viničná 7, Prague 2 12844, Czech Republic
| | - Jana Albrechtová
- Institute of Vertebrate Biology, The Czech Academy of Sciences, v.v.i., Květná 8, Brno 60365, Czech Republic
| | - Martina Němcová
- Faculty of Science, Department of Zoology, Charles University, Viničná 7, Prague 2 12844, Czech Republic
| | - Pavlína Opatová
- Institute of Vertebrate Biology, The Czech Academy of Sciences, v.v.i., Květná 8, Brno 60365, Czech Republic.,Faculty of Science, Department of Botany and Zoology, Masaryk University, Kotlářská 2, Brno 61137, Czech Republic
| | - Tomáš Albrecht
- Institute of Vertebrate Biology, The Czech Academy of Sciences, v.v.i., Květná 8, Brno 60365, Czech Republic .,Faculty of Science, Department of Zoology, Charles University, Viničná 7, Prague 2 12844, Czech Republic
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Bauerová P, Vinklerová J, Hraníček J, Čorba V, Vojtek L, Svobodová J, Vinkler M. Associations of urban environmental pollution with health-related physiological traits in a free-living bird species. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2017; 601-602:1556-1565. [PMID: 28605873 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.05.276] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2017] [Revised: 05/30/2017] [Accepted: 05/30/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Urban environmental pollution results in contamination of the tissues of synanthropic organisms by toxic trace elements with potential impacts on human health. Passerine birds may serve as convenient indicators of such contamination. In this study we investigated the effect of blood and plumage contamination with heavy metals (lead Pb, cadmium Cd, copper Cu, chromium Cr) and arsenic metalloid (As) on condition, health and ornamental colour in free-living great tit (Parus major) males from 13 cities across the Czech Republic (EU), mist netted during the early breading season (April-May). Our results showed a significant association of heavy metal tissue contamination with immune function, namely leukocyte composition in the avian blood circulation. High heavy metal contamination in bird feathers was linked to a high heterophil/lymphocyte (H/L) ratio, indicating long-term stress in individuals inhabiting heavily polluted environments. In contrast, males with higher concentrations of heavy metals in blood had a lower H/L ratio, assumingly due to the direct toxicity of heavy metals in certain cell types. This is also supported by traits indicative of anaemia-like haemolytic conditions (decreased absolute erythrocyte count) and increased haematopoiesis (a tendency for increased frequencies of immature erythrocytes). We did not find any association of heavy metal contamination with the bacteriolytic activity of plasma complement, feather growth or ornamentation (black breast stripe area and yellow colouration). There was no significant relationship between heavy metal contamination in blood or feathers and PM10 pollution at the study sites. Our correlational study is the first to show on a large geographic scale that despite strict European air pollution regulations and regular monitoring that have allowed general improvements in atmospheric contamination, non-degradable heavy metals persistently contaminate animal blood and feathers in anthropogenic environments at levels that may have subclinical yet physiological effects with varied influence on health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Petra Bauerová
- Charles University, Faculty of Science, Department of Zoology, Viničná 7, 128 44 Prague 2, Czech Republic, EU; Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Faculty of Environmental Sciences, Department of Ecology, Kamýcká 1176, 165 21 Prague 6, Czech Republic, EU
| | - Jitka Vinklerová
- Charles University, Faculty of Science, Department of Zoology, Viničná 7, 128 44 Prague 2, Czech Republic, EU
| | - Jakub Hraníček
- Charles University, Faculty of Science, Department of Analytical Chemistry, Hlavova 8, 128 43 Prague 2, Czech Republic, EU
| | - Vojtěch Čorba
- Charles University, Faculty of Science, Department of Zoology, Viničná 7, 128 44 Prague 2, Czech Republic, EU
| | - Libor Vojtek
- Masaryk University, Faculty of Science, Department of Experimental Biology, Kotlářská 2, 611 37 Brno, Czech Republic, EU
| | - Jana Svobodová
- Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Faculty of Environmental Sciences, Department of Ecology, Kamýcká 1176, 165 21 Prague 6, Czech Republic, EU
| | - Michal Vinkler
- Charles University, Faculty of Science, Department of Zoology, Viničná 7, 128 44 Prague 2, Czech Republic, EU.
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10
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Pike TW. Discrimination of signal carotenoid content using multidimensional chromatic information. Behav Ecol 2017. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arx136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
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11
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Smith GD, French SS. Physiological Trade-Offs in Lizards: Costs for Individuals and Populations. Integr Comp Biol 2017; 57:344-351. [DOI: 10.1093/icb/icx062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
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12
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Wilkins LGE, Marques da Cunha L, Glauser G, Vallat A, Wedekind C. Environmental stress linked to consumption of maternally derived carotenoids in brown trout embryos ( Salmo trutta). Ecol Evol 2017; 7:5082-5093. [PMID: 28770048 PMCID: PMC5528241 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.3076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2016] [Revised: 03/29/2017] [Accepted: 04/25/2017] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
The yellow, orange, or red colors of salmonid eggs are due to maternally derived carotenoids whose functions are not sufficiently understood yet. Here, we studied the significance of naturally acquired carotenoids as maternal environmental effects during embryo development in brown trout (Salmo trutta). We collected eggs from wild females, quantified their egg carotenoid content, fertilized them in vitro in full‐factorial breeding blocks to separate maternal from paternal effects, and raised 3,278 embryos singly at various stress conditions until hatching. We found significant sire effects that revealed additive genetic variance for embryo survival and hatching time. Dam effects were 5.4 times larger than these sire effects, indicating that maternal environmental effects play an important role in determining embryo stress tolerance. Of the eight pigment molecules that we targeted, only astaxanthin, zeaxanthin (that both affected egg redness), and lutein were detected above our confidence thresholds. No strong link could be observed between carotenoid content in unfertilized eggs and embryo mortality or hatching timing. However, the consumption of carotenoids during our stress treatment was negatively correlated to embryo survival among sib groups and explained about 14% of the maternal environmental variance. We conclude that maternally derived carotenoids play a role in the ability of embryos to cope with environmental stress, but that the initial susceptibility to the organic pollution was mainly determined by other factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laetitia G E Wilkins
- Department of Ecology and Evolution Biophore, University of Lausanne Lausanne Switzerland.,Department of Environmental Sciences Policy & Management University of California Berkeley CA USA
| | - Lucas Marques da Cunha
- Department of Ecology and Evolution Biophore, University of Lausanne Lausanne Switzerland
| | - Gaëtan Glauser
- Neuchâtel Platform of Analytical Chemistry University of Neuchâtel Neuchâtel Switzerland
| | - Armelle Vallat
- Neuchâtel Platform of Analytical Chemistry University of Neuchâtel Neuchâtel Switzerland
| | - Claus Wedekind
- Department of Ecology and Evolution Biophore, University of Lausanne Lausanne Switzerland
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13
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Immune challenges and visual signalling in tree frogs. Naturwissenschaften 2017; 104:21. [PMID: 28271177 DOI: 10.1007/s00114-017-1436-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2016] [Revised: 01/27/2017] [Accepted: 01/28/2017] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
In animals, mate-choice is often based on sexual signals that carry information and help the receiver make the best choice to improve the receiver's fitness. Orange visual sexual signals have been hypothesised to carry immune information because they are often due to carotenoid pigments which are also involved in immunity response. Although many studies have focused on the direct relationships between coloration and immunocompetence, few studies have simultaneously studied immunocompetent response and coloration variation after an immune challenge. We tested this hypothesis on starved and ad libitum-fed males of the European tree frog Hyla arborea. Our results show that male coloration is not a reliable indicator of its immune response capacity in this species. However, after an immune challenge induced by a PHA (Phaseolus vulgaris phytohaemagglutinin) injection, starved males presented a significant coloration loss and this alteration was related to the immune response intensity. Taken together, these results suggest that the brighter (lighter) coloration may be used as a cue by female to exclude males with a recent immune challenge, due to diseases or parasites for example.
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14
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Casagrande S, Pinxten R, Zaid E, Eens M. Positive effect of dietary lutein and cholesterol on the undirected song activity of an opportunistic breeder. PeerJ 2016; 4:e2512. [PMID: 27761321 PMCID: PMC5068346 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.2512] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2016] [Accepted: 09/01/2016] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Song is a sexually selected trait that is thought to be an honest signal of the health condition of an individual in many bird species. For species that breed opportunistically, the quantity of food may be a determinant of singing activity. However, it is not yet known whether the quality of food plays an important role in this respect. The aim of the present study was to experimentally investigate the role of two calorie-free nutrients (lutein and cholesterol) in determining the expression of a sexually selected behavior (song rate) and other behaviors (locomotor activity, self-maintenance activity, eating and resting) in male zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata). We predicted that males supplemented with lutein and cholesterol would sing at higher rates than controls because both lutein and cholesterol have important health-related physiological functions in birds and birdsong mirrors individual condition. To control for testosterone secretion that may upregulate birdsong, birds were exposed to a decreasing photoperiod. Our results showed that control males down-regulated testosterone in response to a decreasing photoperiod, while birds treated with lutein or cholesterol maintained a constant singing activity. Both lutein- and cholesterol-supplemented groups sang more than control groups by the end of the experiment, indicating that the quality of food can affect undirected song irrespective of circulating testosterone concentrations. None of the other measured behaviors were affected by the treatment, suggesting that, when individuals have full availability of food, sexually selected song traits are more sensitive to the effect of food quality than other behavioral traits. Overall the results support our prediction that undirected song produced by male zebra finches signals access to high-quality food.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefania Casagrande
- Evolutionary Physiology Group, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Seewiesen, Germany; Department of Biology, Behavioural Ecology and Ecophysiology Group, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Rianne Pinxten
- Department of Biology, Behavioural Ecology and Ecophysiology Group, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium; Faculty of Social Sciences, Antwerp School of Education, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Erika Zaid
- Department of Biology, Behavioural Ecology and Ecophysiology Group, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium; Department of Zoology, School of Life Sciences, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Marcel Eens
- Department of Biology, Behavioural Ecology and Ecophysiology Group, University of Antwerp , Antwerp , Belgium
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15
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Brännäs E, Backström T, Nilsson J, Carlberg H, Stien LH, Magnhagen C. Distinguishing Arctic charr with different stress coping styles by visual screening of spottiness – reliability and consistency over time. J Zool (1987) 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/jzo.12374] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- E. Brännäs
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Environmental Studies Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences Umeå Sweden
| | - T. Backström
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Environmental Studies Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences Umeå Sweden
| | - J. Nilsson
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Environmental Studies Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences Umeå Sweden
| | - H. Carlberg
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Environmental Studies Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences Umeå Sweden
| | - L. H. Stien
- Institute of Marine Research (IMR) Austervoll Research Station Storebø Norway
| | - C. Magnhagen
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Environmental Studies Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences Umeå Sweden
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16
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Casagrande S, Pinxten R, Eens M. Honest Signaling and Oxidative Stress: The Special Case of Avian Acoustic Communication. Front Ecol Evol 2016. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2016.00052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
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17
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Opposing effects of oxidative challenge and carotenoids on antioxidant status and condition-dependent sexual signalling. Sci Rep 2016; 6:23546. [PMID: 27000655 PMCID: PMC4802301 DOI: 10.1038/srep23546] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2015] [Accepted: 03/09/2016] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Several recent hypotheses consider oxidative stress to be a primary constraint ensuring honesty of condition-dependent carotenoid-based signalling. The key testable difference between these hypotheses is the assumed importance of carotenoids for redox homeostasis, with carotenoids being either antioxidant, pro-oxidant or unimportant. We tested the role of carotenoids in redox balance and sexual signalling by exposing adult male zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata) to oxidative challenge (diquat dibromide) and manipulating carotenoid intake. As the current controversy over the importance of carotenoids as antioxidants could stem from the hydrophilic basis of commonly-used antioxidant assays, we used the novel measure of in vivo lipophilic antioxidant capacity. Oxidative challenge reduced beak pigmentation but elicited an increase in antioxidant capacity suggesting resource reallocation from signalling to redox homeostasis. Carotenoids counteracted the effect of oxidative challenge on lipophilic (but not hydrophilic) antioxidant capacity, thereby supporting carotenoid antioxidant function in vivo. This is inconsistent with hypotheses proposing that signalling honesty is maintained through either ROS-induced carotenoid degradation or the pro-oxidant effect of high levels of carotenoid-cleavage products acting as a physiological handicap. Our data further suggest that assessment of lipophilic antioxidant capacity is necessary to fully understand the role of redox processes in ecology and evolution.
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18
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Devigili A, Belluomo V, Locatello L, Rasotto MB, Pilastro A. Postcopulatory cost of immune system activation in Poecilia reticulata. ETHOL ECOL EVOL 2016. [DOI: 10.1080/03949370.2016.1152305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Vincenzo Belluomo
- Department of Life Science, Second University of Naples, 81100 Caserta, Italy
| | - Lisa Locatello
- Department of Biology, University of Padua, 35131 Padua, Italy
| | | | - Andrea Pilastro
- Department of Biology, University of Padua, 35131 Padua, Italy
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19
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Hõrak P, Männiste M. Viability selection affects black but not yellow plumage colour in greenfinches. Oecologia 2015; 180:23-32. [PMID: 26386701 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-015-3451-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2015] [Accepted: 09/07/2015] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Much of the debate surrounding the selective forces responsible for the expression of conspicuous plumage colouration is centred on the question of precisely which individual qualities are signalled by carotenoid- and melanin-based pigments. To examine this and other related issues, we performed viability selection analyses in wild-caught captive male greenfinches (Carduelis chloris) in Estonia during winters between 2003 and 2014. Based on our measurements, birds with a darker black eumelanin-based colouration of tail feathers survived better than those whose tail feathers had a paler black colouration. The carotenoid-based yellow colouration of the same feathers was not associated with mortality in captivity and showed much less between-year variation in the field than the black colouration. Between year-variation in the black (but not yellow) colouration of feathers was parallel in wild-grown feathers (on birds in the wild) and laboratory-grown ones (on birds held temporarily in captivity). Taken together, these findings imply that eumelanotic colouration in greenfinches is currently under selection and suggest the presence of sufficient genetic variation for a rapid response to selection. In particular, tail feathers have become darker black since the emergence of avian trichomonosis, which is known to selectively kill paler individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peeter Hõrak
- Department of Zoology, Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences, Tartu University, Vanemuise 46, 51014, Tartu, Estonia.
| | - Marju Männiste
- Department of Zoology, Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences, Tartu University, Vanemuise 46, 51014, Tartu, Estonia
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20
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Rowe M, Pierson KL, McGraw KJ. Exploratory behavior is associated with plasma carotenoid accumulation in two congeneric species of waterfowl. Behav Processes 2015; 115:181-90. [DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2015.04.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2014] [Revised: 03/27/2015] [Accepted: 04/17/2015] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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21
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Casagrande S, Pinxten R, Zaid E, Eens M. Carotenoids, birdsong and oxidative status: administration of dietary lutein is associated with an increase in song rate and circulating antioxidants (albumin and cholesterol) and a decrease in oxidative damage. PLoS One 2014; 9:e115899. [PMID: 25549336 PMCID: PMC4280127 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0115899] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2014] [Accepted: 11/29/2014] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite the appealing hypothesis that carotenoid-based colouration signals oxidative status, evidence supporting the antioxidant function of these pigments is scarce. Recent studies have shown that lutein, the most common carotenoid used by birds, can enhance the expression of non-visual traits, such as birdsong. Nevertheless, the underlying physiological mechanisms remain unclear. In this study we hypothesized that male European starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) fed extra lutein increase their song rate as a consequence of an improved oxidative status. Although birdsong may be especially sensitive to the redox status, this has, to the best of our knowledge, never been tested. Together with the determination of circulating oxidative damage (ROMs, reactive oxygen metabolites), we quantified uric acid, albumin, total proteins, cholesterol, and testosterone, which are physiological parameters potentially sensitive to oxidation and/or related to both carotenoid functions and birdsong expression. We found that the birds fed extra lutein sang more frequently than control birds and showed an increase of albumin and cholesterol together with a decrease of oxidative damage. Moreover, we could show that song rate was associated with high levels of albumin and cholesterol and low levels of oxidative damage, independently from testosterone levels. Our study shows for the first time that song rate honestly signals the oxidative status of males and that dietary lutein is associated with the circulation of albumin and cholesterol in birds, providing a novel insight to the theoretical framework related to the honest signalling of carotenoid-based traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefania Casagrande
- Department of Biology, Ethology Group, University of Antwerp, Campus Drie Eiken, Antwerp, Belgium
- * E-mail:
| | - Rianne Pinxten
- Department of Biology, Ethology Group, University of Antwerp, Campus Drie Eiken, Antwerp, Belgium
- Institute for Education and Information Sciences, Research Unit Didactica, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Erika Zaid
- Department of Biology, Ethology Group, University of Antwerp, Campus Drie Eiken, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Marcel Eens
- Department of Biology, Ethology Group, University of Antwerp, Campus Drie Eiken, Antwerp, Belgium
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22
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Simons MJP, Maia R, Leenknegt B, Verhulst S. Carotenoid-dependent signals and the evolution of plasma carotenoid levels in birds. Am Nat 2014; 184:741-51. [PMID: 25438174 DOI: 10.1086/678402] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
Sexual selection has resulted in a wide array of ornaments used in mate choice, and such indicator traits signal quality honestly when they bear costs, precluding cheating. Carotenoid-dependent coloration has attracted considerable attention in this context, because investing carotenoids in coloration has to be traded off against its physiological functions; carotenoids are antioxidants and increase immunocompetence. This trade-off is hypothesized to underlie the honesty of carotenoid-dependent coloration, signaling the "handicap" of allocating carotenoids away from somatic maintenance toward sexual display. Utilizing recent advances in modeling adaptive evolution, we used a comparative approach to investigate the evolution of plasma carotenoid levels using a species-level phylogeny of 178 bird species. We find that the evolutionary optimum for carotenoid levels is higher in lineages that evolved carotenoid-dependent coloration, with strong attraction toward this optimum. Hence, carotenoids do not appear to be limiting, given that higher carotenoid levels readily evolve in response to the evolution of carotenoid-dependent coloration. These findings challenge the assumption that carotenoids are a scarce resource and thus also challenge the hypothesis that physiological resource value of carotenoids underlies honesty of carotenoid-dependent traits. Therefore, the comparative evidence suggests that other factors, such as the acquisition and incorporation of carotenoids, are involved in maintaining signal honesty.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mirre J P Simons
- Behavioural Biology, Centre for Life Sciences, University of Groningen, PO Box 11103, 9700CC, Groningen, The Netherlands
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23
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Sefc KM, Brown AC, Clotfelter ED. Carotenoid-based coloration in cichlid fishes. Comp Biochem Physiol A Mol Integr Physiol 2014; 173C:42-51. [PMID: 24667558 PMCID: PMC4003536 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2014.03.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2013] [Revised: 03/03/2014] [Accepted: 03/14/2014] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Animal colors play important roles in communication, ecological interactions and speciation. Carotenoid pigments are responsible for many yellow, orange and red hues in animals. Whereas extensive knowledge on the proximate mechanisms underlying carotenoid coloration in birds has led to testable hypotheses on avian color evolution and signaling, much less is known about the expression of carotenoid coloration in fishes. Here, we promote cichlid fishes (Perciformes: Cichlidae) as a system in which to study the physiological and evolutionary significance of carotenoids. Cichlids include some of the best examples of adaptive radiation and color pattern diversification in vertebrates. In this paper, we examine fitness correlates of carotenoid pigmentation in cichlids and review hypotheses regarding the signal content of carotenoid-based ornaments. Carotenoid-based coloration is influenced by diet and body condition and is positively related to mating success and social dominance. Gaps in our knowledge are discussed in the last part of this review, particularly in the understanding of carotenoid metabolism pathways and the genetics of carotenoid coloration. We suggest that carotenoid metabolism and transport are important proximate mechanisms responsible for individual and population-differences in cichlid coloration that may ultimately contribute to diversification and speciation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristina M Sefc
- Institute of Zoology, University of Graz, Universitätsplatz 2, 8010 Graz, Austria
| | - Alexandria C Brown
- Department of Biology, Amherst College, Amherst, MA 01002, USA; Graduate Program in Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003 USA
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24
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Rodríguez A, Broggi J, Alcaide M, Negro JJ, Figuerola J. Determinants and short-term physiological consequences of PHA immune response in lesser kestrel nestlings. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2014; 321:376-86. [PMID: 24807828 DOI: 10.1002/jez.1868] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2013] [Revised: 04/07/2014] [Accepted: 04/11/2014] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Individual immune responses are likely affected by genetic, physiological, and environmental determinants. We studied the determinants and short-term consequences of Phytohaemagglutinin (PHA) induced immune response, a commonly used immune challenge eliciting both innate and acquired immunity, on lesser kestrel (Falco naumanni) nestlings in semi-captivity conditions and with a homogeneous diet composition. We conducted a repeated measures analyses of a set of blood parameters (carotenoids, triglycerides, β-hydroxybutyrate, cholesterol, uric acid, urea, total proteins, and total antioxidant capacity), metabolic (resting metabolic rate), genotypic (MHC class II B heterozygosity), and biometric (body mass) variables. PHA challenge did not affect the studied physiological parameters on a short-term basis (<12 hr), except plasma concentrations of triglycerides and carotenoids, which decreased and increased, respectively. Uric acid was the only physiological parameter correlated with the PHA induced immune response (skin swelling), but the change of body mass, cholesterol, total antioxidant capacity, and triglycerides between sessions (i.e., post-pre treatment) were also positively correlated to PHA response. No relationships were detected between MHC gene heterozygosity or resting metabolic rate and PHA response. Our results indicate that PHA response in lesser kestrel nestlings growing in optimal conditions does not imply a severe energetic cost 12 hr after challenge, but is condition-dependent as a rapid mobilization of carotenoids and decrease of triglycerides is elicited on a short-term basis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Airam Rodríguez
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology, Estación Biológica de Doñana (CSIC), Seville, Spain; Department of Research, Phillip Island Nature Parks, Cowes, Victoria, Australia
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25
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Dai Z, Wang R, Ang LW, Low YL, Yuan JM, Koh WP. Protective effects of dietary carotenoids on risk of hip fracture in men: the Singapore Chinese Health Study. J Bone Miner Res 2014; 29:408-17. [PMID: 23857780 PMCID: PMC3894263 DOI: 10.1002/jbmr.2041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2013] [Revised: 06/17/2013] [Accepted: 07/01/2013] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Experimental and epidemiologic data suggest that carotenoids in vegetables and fruits may benefit bone health due to their antioxidant properties. The relationship between dietary total and specific carotenoids, as well as vegetables and fruits, and risk of hip fracture was examined among Chinese in Singapore. We used data from the Singapore Chinese Health Study, a prospective cohort of 63,257 men and women who were of ages 45 to 74 years between 1993 and 1998. At recruitment, subjects were interviewed on lifestyle factors and medical history. Usual diet was measured using a validated food frequency questionnaire. During a mean follow-up of 9.9 years, we identified 1630 hip fracture incident cases. Among men, consumption of vegetables was associated with lower hip fracture risk. Similarly, dietary total carotenoids and specific carotenoids, α-carotene, β-carotene, and lutein/zeaxanthin were inversely associated with hip fracture risk. Compared to men in the lowest quartile of nutrient density, men in the highest quartile had statistically significant 26% to 39% risk reduction (all p for trend <0.05). When stratified by body mass index (BMI), the greatest protective effects of total vegetables and carotenoids were found in men with BMI <20 kg/m(2) (p for trend ≤0.004). There was no association between dietary carotenoids or vegetables/fruits and hip fracture risk among women. This study suggests that adequate intake of vegetables may reduce risk of osteoporotic fractures among elderly men and that the antioxidant effects of carotenoids may counteract the mechanism of osteoporosis related to leanness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhaoli Dai
- Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Renwei Wang
- Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences, University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Li-Wei Ang
- Epidemiology & Disease Control Division, Ministry of Health, Singapore
| | - Yen-Ling Low
- Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Jian-Min Yuan
- Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences, University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
- Department of Epidemiology, Graduate School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Woon-Puay Koh
- Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, National University of Singapore, Singapore
- Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School Singapore, Singapore
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26
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Brown AC, McGraw KJ, Clotfelter ED. Dietary Carotenoids Increase Yellow Nonpigment Coloration of Female Convict Cichlids (Amantitlania nigrofasciata). Physiol Biochem Zool 2013; 86:312-22. [DOI: 10.1086/670734] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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27
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Haemosporidian parasites of a European passerine wintering in South Asia: diversity, mixed infections and effect on host condition. Parasitol Res 2013; 112:1667-77. [PMID: 23385972 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-013-3323-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2013] [Accepted: 01/25/2013] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
We studied haemosporidian parasites in the scarlet rosefinch Carpodacus erythrinus in a small isolated semicolony during an eight-year period using molecular methods of parasite detection. The scarlet rosefinch is an interesting model of parasite host species. It winters in South Asia which represents a rare exception among European passerines. Males express yellow to red carotenoid-based plumage ornament which is a good predictor of male reproductive success. In 240 blood samples originating from 199 adult individuals, the total parasite prevalence reached 60%. Prevalence varied among years from 36 to 81% in Haemoproteus, 8 to 22% in Plasmodium, and 0 to 14% in Leucocytozoon. Twenty parasite lineages were detected (Haemoproteus: 5 lineages, Plasmodium: 10 lineages, and Leucocytozoon: 5 lineages). Among them, the Haemoproteus ROFI2 lineage, which is a host-specific parasite lineage of the scarlet rosefinch, was the most frequently found. Parasite lineages showed varying degree of lineage specificity. While Haemoproteus lineages detected in the scarlet rosefinch have relatively narrow host breadth restricted mainly to Fringillidae family, Leucocytozoon and Plasmodium lineages generally showed wider host range. The presence of some parasite lineages hitherto detected in sedentary European passerines (SISKIN1, CCF3, BT2) or in Culicoides biting midges at the same locality (ROFI1) suggest local transmission. On the contrary, lineages LK05 and FANTAIL1 that were previously reported exclusively from Asian hosts imply parasite transmission at the scarlet rosefinch wintering sites in South Asia. Mixed infections were found in 17% of infected samples and comprised mainly the most frequent lineages. The pattern of concomitant infections seemed to be rather random and matched expected levels based on lineage frequencies. Between-year comparisons revealed that in a majority of the repeatedly captured individual hosts the infection status remained unchanged (individuals stayed uninfected or possessed the same parasite lineages). However, 16 gains and 8 losses of lineages were also reported. We have not found any effect of haemosporidians on male carotenoid ornament expression or host body mass.
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Whitehead RD, Perrett DI, Ozakinci G. Attractive Skin Coloration: Harnessing Sexual Selection to Improve Diet and Health. EVOLUTIONARY PSYCHOLOGY 2012. [DOI: 10.1177/147470491201000507] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
In this paper we review the mechanisms through which carotenoid coloration could provide a sexually selected cue to condition in species with elaborate color vision. Skin carotenoid pigmentation induced by fruit and vegetable consumption may provide a similar cue to health in humans (particularly light-skinned Asians and Caucasians). Evidence demonstrates that carotenoid-based skin coloration enhances apparent health, and that dietary change can perceptibly impact skin color within weeks. We find that the skin coloration associated with increased fruit and vegetable consumption benefits apparent health to a greater extent than melanin pigmentation. We argue that the benefits to appearance may motivate individuals to improve their diet and that this line of appearance research reveals a potentially powerful strategy for motivating a healthy lifestyle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ross D. Whitehead
- School of Psychology, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, Scotland
| | - David I. Perrett
- School of Psychology, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, Scotland
| | - Gözde Ozakinci
- School of Medicine, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, Scotland
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29
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Wenzel MA, Webster LMI, Paterson S, Mougeot F, Martínez-Padilla J, Piertney SB. A transcriptomic investigation of handicap models in sexual selection. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2012. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-012-1442-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
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Holman L, Leroy C, Jørgensen C, Nielsen J, d’Ettorre P. Are queen ants inhibited by their own pheromone? Regulation of productivity via negative feedback. Behav Ecol 2012. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/ars174] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
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Locatello L, Pizzolon M, Rasotto MB. One trait, many signals: different information on male quality is enclosed within the same trait in a blenny fish. THE SCIENCE OF NATURE - NATURWISSENSCHAFTEN 2012; 99:863-7. [PMID: 22899423 PMCID: PMC3448905 DOI: 10.1007/s00114-012-0959-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2012] [Revised: 07/27/2012] [Accepted: 07/30/2012] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Colourful ornaments are traditionally evaluated as one trait. However, they could consist of several components, such as total size, colour intensity and extension, each possibly bearing its own message about one aspect of quality. Males of the blenny Salaria pavo exhibit a colourful head crest and solely care for eggs. During the breeding season, the head crest shows a yellow colouration, the intensity and relative extension of which are independent of crest size. Here, we show that: (1) carotenoids are responsible for the head crest yellow patch; (2) activating the immune system by injecting the bacterial antigen lipopolysaccharides affects both the intensity and extent of the yellow colouration; and (3) females assess males on the basis of colour patch expression. However, the response of the yellow patch to the immune challenge was dependent on head crest size. Indeed, males with a larger head crest reacted better to the simulated infection, sustaining a level of yellow patch close to pre-challenge size.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa Locatello
- Department of Biology, University of Padova, via U. Bassi 58/B, Padova, Italy
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Simons MJP, Cohen AA, Verhulst S. What does carotenoid-dependent coloration tell? Plasma carotenoid level signals immunocompetence and oxidative stress state in birds-A meta-analysis. PLoS One 2012; 7:e43088. [PMID: 22905205 PMCID: PMC3419220 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0043088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 132] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2012] [Accepted: 07/16/2012] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Mechanisms maintaining honesty of sexual signals are far from resolved, limiting our understanding of sexual selection and potential important parts of physiology. Carotenoid pigmented visual signals are among the most extensively studied sexual displays, but evidence regarding hypotheses on how carotenoids ensure signal honesty is mixed. Using a phylogenetically controlled meta-analysis of 357 effect sizes across 88 different species of birds, we tested two prominent hypotheses in the field: that carotenoid-dependent coloration signals i) immunocompetence and/or ii) oxidative stress state. Separate meta-analyses were performed for the relationships of trait coloration and circulating carotenoid level with different measures of immunocompetence and oxidative stress state. For immunocompetence we find that carotenoid levels (r = 0.20) and trait color intensity (r = 0.17) are significantly positively related to PHA response. Additionally we find that carotenoids are significantly positively related to antioxidant capacity (r = 0.10), but not significantly related to oxidative damage (r = -0.02). Thus our analyses provide support for both hypotheses, in that at least for some aspects of immunity and oxidative stress state the predicted correlations were found. Furthermore, we tested for differences in effect size between experimental and observational studies; a larger effect in observational studies would indicate that co-variation might not be causal. However, we detected no significant difference, suggesting that the relationships we found are causal. The overall effect sizes we report are modest and we discuss potential factors contributing to this, including differences between species. We suggest complementary mechanisms maintaining honesty rather than the involvement of carotenoids in immune function and oxidative stress and suggest experiments on how to test these.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mirre J P Simons
- Behavioural Biology, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.
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Kittilsen S, Johansen IB, Braastad BO, Øverli Ø. Pigments, parasites and personalitiy: towards a unifying role for steroid hormones? PLoS One 2012; 7:e34281. [PMID: 22493685 PMCID: PMC3320900 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0034281] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2011] [Accepted: 02/27/2012] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
A surging interest in the evolution of consistent trait correlations has inspired research on pigment patterns as a correlate of behavioural syndromes, or “animal personalities”. Associations between pigmentation, physiology and health status are less investigated as potentially conserved trait clusters. In the current study, lice counts performed on farmed Atlantic salmon Salmo salar naturally infected with ectoparasitic sea lice Lepeophtheirus salmonis showed that individual fish with high incidence of black melanin-based skin spots harboured fewer female sea lice carrying egg sacs, compared to less pigmented fish. There was no significant association between pigmentation and lice at other developmental stages, suggesting that host factors associated with melanin-based pigmentation may modify ectoparasite development to a larger degree than settlement. In a subsequent laboratory experiment a strong negative correlation between skin spots and post-stress cortisol levels was revealed, with less pigmented individuals showing a more pronounced cortisol response to acute stress. The observation that lice prevalence was strongly increased on a fraction of sexually mature male salmon which occurred among the farmed fish further supports a role for steroid hormones as mediators of reduced parasite resistance. The data presented here propose steroid hormones as a proximate cause for the association between melanin-based pigmentation and parasites. Possible fundamental and applied implications are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silje Kittilsen
- Department of Animal and Aquacultural Sciences, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Ås, Norway
| | | | - Bjarne Olai Braastad
- Department of Animal and Aquacultural Sciences, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Ås, Norway
| | - Øyvind Øverli
- Department of Animal and Aquacultural Sciences, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Ås, Norway
- * E-mail:
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Skibsted LH. Carotenoids in antioxidant networks. Colorants or radical scavengers. JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY 2012; 60:2409-2417. [PMID: 22339058 DOI: 10.1021/jf2051416] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Optical and electronic properties of carotenoids as also reflected in their colors have been fine-tuned through evolution, resulting in a structural diversity important for carotenoid properties as radical scavengers and as quenchers of electronically excited states. Carotenoids form antioxidant networks based on one-electron transfer with other carotenoids depending on the balance between ionization energy and electron affinity of the individual carotenoids as has been demonstrated by real-time kinetic studies and later confirmed by quantum mechanical calculations. The more hydrophilic xanthophylls serve as molecular wiring across membranes in these networks through anchoring in water/lipid interfaces resulting in synergism with more lipophilic carotenoids. Radical scavenging of such networks seems to be thermodynamically controlled according to a two-dimensional classification of potential antioxidants. Carotenoids in birds' plumage, as reflected by their color and color intensity, seem to be indicators of good antioxidant status and health of the bird, and such antioxidant networks appear to be in "equilibrium". Carotenoids are under other conditions involved in networks with other types of antioxidants as in egg yolk and in some fish. For the more hydrophilic (iso)flavonoids and their glycosides, antioxidant synergism through regeneration of the lipophilic carotenoids active as radical scavengers becomes kinetically controlled at interfaces. Carotenoids appear accordingly, and also in food, as antioxidants under two types of conditions: (i) in "equilibrium" with other antioxidants in thermodynamically controlled networks serving as color indicators of good antioxidant status and (ii) as antioxidants active through radical scavenging in networks with kinetically controlled regeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leif H Skibsted
- Food Chemistry, Department of Food Science, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg C, Denmark.
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You are what you eat: within-subject increases in fruit and vegetable consumption confer beneficial skin-color changes. PLoS One 2012; 7:e32988. [PMID: 22412966 PMCID: PMC3296758 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0032988] [Citation(s) in RCA: 79] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2011] [Accepted: 02/08/2012] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Fruit and vegetable consumption and ingestion of carotenoids have been found to be associated with human skin-color (yellowness) in a recent cross-sectional study. This carotenoid-based coloration contributes beneficially to the appearance of health in humans and is held to be a sexually selected cue of condition in other species. METHODOLOGY AND PRINCIPAL FINDINGS Here we investigate the effects of fruit and vegetable consumption on skin-color longitudinally to determine the magnitude and duration of diet change required to change skin-color perceptibly. Diet and skin-color were recorded at baseline and after three and six weeks, in a group of 35 individuals who were without makeup, self-tanning agents and/or recent intensive UV exposure. Six-week changes in fruit and vegetable consumption were significantly correlated with changes in skin redness and yellowness over this period, and diet-linked skin reflectance changes were significantly associated with the spectral absorption of carotenoids and not melanin. We also used psychophysical methods to investigate the minimum color change required to confer perceptibly healthier and more attractive skin-coloration. Modest dietary changes are required to enhance apparent health (2.91 portions per day) and attractiveness (3.30 portions). CONCLUSIONS Increased fruit and vegetable consumption confers measurable and perceptibly beneficial effects on Caucasian skin appearance within six weeks. This effect could potentially be used as a motivational tool in dietary intervention.
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Whitehead RD, Ozakinci G, Stephen ID, Perrett DI. Appealing to vanity: could potential appearance improvement motivate fruit and vegetable consumption? Am J Public Health 2012; 102:207-11. [PMID: 22390433 PMCID: PMC3483994 DOI: 10.2105/ajph.2011.300405] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/04/2011] [Indexed: 10/14/2022]
Abstract
Fruit and vegetable consumption is inadequate among adults in the United States; this contributes to preventable morbidity and mortality. More effective dietary intervention strategies are needed. Recently, interventions that advertise the consequences of behavior for appearance have been successful in modifying sun-exposure habits and tobacco use. Such an approach might also facilitate dietary improvement. Consumption of carotenoid-rich fruit and vegetables positively affects skin color, which influences perceptions of health and attractiveness, and promoting such an effect may motivate target audiences to increase consumption of this important food group. This approach represents a novel direction for the field and is potentially suitable for cost-effective, population-level dissemination through the visual media.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ross D Whitehead
- Perception Lab, School of Psychology, University of St Andrews, Fife, UK.
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Phytohaemagglutinin skin-swelling test in scarlet rosefinch males: low-quality birds respond more strongly. Anim Behav 2012. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2011.10.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
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Lindsay WR, Webster MS, Schwabl H. Sexually selected male plumage color is testosterone dependent in a tropical passerine bird, the red-backed fairy-wren (Malurus melanocephalus). PLoS One 2011; 6:e26067. [PMID: 21998753 PMCID: PMC3187837 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0026067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2011] [Accepted: 09/19/2011] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Sexual signals, such as bright plumage coloration in passerine birds, reflect individual quality, and testosterone (T) may play a critical role in maintaining signal honesty. Manipulations of T during molt have yielded mixed effects on passerine plumage color, in most cases delaying molt or leading to production of drab plumage. However, the majority of these studies have been conducted on species that undergo a post-nuptial molt when T is low; the role of T in species that acquire breeding plumage during a pre-nuptial molt remains largely unexplored. Methodology/Principal Findings We experimentally tested the effects of increased T on plumage color in second-year male red-backed fairy-wrens (Malurus melanocephalus), a species in which after-second-year males undergo a pre-nuptial molt into red/black (carotenoid and melanin-based) plumage and second-year males either assume red/black or brown breeding plumage. T treatment stimulated a rapid and early onset pre-nuptial molt and resulted in red/black plumage acquisition, bill darkening, and growth of the sperm storage organ, but had no effect on body condition or corticosterone concentrations. Control males molted later and assumed brown plumage. T treated males produced feathers with similar but not identical reflectance parameters to those of unmanipulated after-second-year red/black males; while reflectance spectra of red back and black crown feathers were similar, black breast feathers differed in UV chroma, hue and brightness, indicating a potentially age and plumage patch-dependent response to T for melanin- vs. carotenoid-pigmentation. Conclusions/Significance We show that testosterone is the primary mechanism functioning during the pre-nuptial molt to regulate intrasexually variable plumage color and breeding phenotype in male red-backed fairy-wrens. Our results suggest that the effects of T on plumage coloration may vary with timing of molt (pre- vs. post-nuptial), and that the role of T in mediating plumage signal production may differ across age classes, plumage patches, and between pigment-types.
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Affiliation(s)
- Willow R. Lindsay
- School of Biological Sciences and Center for Reproductive Biology, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Michael S. Webster
- Cornell Lab of Ornithology and Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, United States of America
| | - Hubert Schwabl
- School of Biological Sciences and Center for Reproductive Biology, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, United States of America
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Stephen ID, Coetzee V, Perrett DI. Carotenoid and melanin pigment coloration affect perceived human health. EVOL HUM BEHAV 2011. [DOI: 10.1016/j.evolhumbehav.2010.09.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 121] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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TAYSOM AJ, STUART-FOX D, CARDOSO GC. The contribution of structural-, psittacofulvin- and melanin-based colouration to sexual dichromatism in Australasian parrots. J Evol Biol 2010; 24:303-13. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1420-9101.2010.02166.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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