In Trial 1, diet composition, intake, and digestibility were directly measured and estimated with the marker. Six giraffes (Giraffa camelopardalis) were dosed once daily for 3 weeks with labeled pellets containing 3,800 ppm of each C28, C32, and C36 alkanes at 100 mg/100 kg bodyweight. Intake of cabbage, browse, and a cattle pellet could accurately be estimated with the alkane method. For an oat/wheat mix and clover hay, however, there were large differences between directly measured intakes and those obtained using the alkane method, with the alkane method substantially underestimating. In Trial 2 mean retention times (MRTs) of fluid and particle phase were estimated. Three subadult giraffes were dosed once with cobalt-ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid (Co-EDTA) (260 mg) and alkanes C29 (140 mg) and C36 (370 mg). The average MRT for the fluid phase (Co-EDTA) was 31 hr and for the particle phase (alkanes) was 41 hr (C36) and 43 h (C29). This study showed that n-alkanes have potential as markers for investigating digestive strategies in non-domestic herbivores.
Title: The use of dosed and herbage n-alkanes as markers for the determination of digestive strategies of captive giraffes (Giraffa camelopardalis)
Authors: Jean-Michel Hatt , Matthias Lechner-Doll, Bob Mayes
The use of n-alkanes as markers for the determination of digestive strategies of captive giraffes
16april2008
Selected aspects of digestion in captive giraffes were investigated in two trials with a type of marker that is new for digestive studies in non-domestic species. N-Alkanes were used as internal and external markers.