Detection of Fertility Levels of Female Bawean Deer (Axis kuhlii) Based on Fecal Steroid Metabolic

The aim of the study was to detect the fertility level of females Bawean deer (Axis kuhlii) through fecal steroid metabolic which were tested using Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA). The study used five females Bawean deer in Taman Flora Surabaya, which were marked using R1, R2, R3, R4, and R5 necklaces. The feces of each deer was collected on the 1st day, 6th day, 11th day, 16th day, and 21st day. The samples which were collected then extracted using the freeze dry method. Samples were tested using ELISA. The results of the measurement of the levels of fecal steroid metabolic in five Bawean deers showed that three Bawean deer (R1, R4, and R5) were in the luteal or pregnant phase as indicated by the increased of progesterone from 1st day to 21st day. While the other two Bawean deer (R2 and R3) were in the follicular or estrous phase as indicated by the decreased of level of faecal steroid metabolic on 11th day for deer R2 and 16th day for deer R3. The results showed that the levels of the fecal steroid metabolic can be used to determine the follicular phase and luteal phase and the pregnancy status of female Bawean deer.

Assessment of fecal steroid and thyroid hormone metabolites in eastern North Pacific gray whales

Baleen whale fecal samples have high potential for endocrine monitoring, which can be used as a non-invasive tool to identify the physiological response to disturbance events and describe population health and vital rates. In this study, we used commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays to validate and quantify fecal steroid (progestins, androgens and glucocorticoids) and thyroid hormone metabolite concentrations in eastern North Pacific gray whales (Eschrichtius robustus) along the Oregon coast, USA, from May to October of 2016–2018. Higher mean progestin metabolite concentrations were observed in postweaning females, followed by pregnant females. Mean androgen, glucocorticoid and thyroid metabolites were higher in mature males. Progestin, glucocorticoids and thyroid fecal metabolites varied significantly by year, with positive correlations between progestin and androgen, and between glucocorticoid and thyroid metabolites. We also present two case studies of a documented injured whale and a mature male displaying reproductive competitive behavior, which provide reference points for physiologically stressed individuals and adult breeding males, respectively. Our methods and findings advance the knowledge of baleen whale physiology, can help guide future research on whale physiology and can inform population management and conservation efforts regarding minimizing the impact of anthropogenic stressors on whales.

Evaluation of Steroid Sex Hormone Levels in Cockatiels During Their Reproductive Cycle

Sexual steroid hormone concentrations differ with respect to the different stages of animal life. For example, hormone concentrations in the reproductive stage show a periodic variation. Studies on variations in sexual hormones in parrots using non-invasive methods as well as the effect of nest-boxes in parrots are less. This study aimed to detect the levels of fecal steroid hormones during the cockatiel reproductive cycle and to investigate the effect of nest-box placement on reproduction. There were 24 mating pairs of cockatiels, and the study was conducted over 13 months. Based on their reproductive status, individual birds were divided into pre-reproduction (PR), incubation (IN), and parent period (PA) in the pre-test; then, the nest box was either temporarily removed for 20 days (RN) or continuously provided (pre-reproduction, PR). The estrogen concentrations measured in the last stage of the PR period and the initial stage of the IN period were significantly higher than those measured in the PA stage, and there were no significant differences in testosterone and progesterone concentrations throughout the reproductive cycle. The nest-box treatments (NB) indicated that eggs were laid 6-13 days after the new box was hung; however, in the pre-test, there was an interval of 30-40 days before the next mating pairs started the next reproductive stage or no reproduction. Estrogen concentrations in PR and testosterone concentrations in RN were significantly higher than those in the other periods during the nest-box treatments. In conclusion, estrogen showed the most significant change among the fecal steroid hormones measured. Nest boxes serve as a positive stimulus for parrot reproduction management and can help non-seasonal reproductive parrots to rapidly enter the next breeding cycle.

A NON-INVASIVE TECHNIQUE USING TO MONITOR REPRODUCTIVE HORMONES IN COMMON PALM CIVETS

Fecal steroid assays have been used to study and provide information on the estrous cycle, pregnancy, re-estrus, reproductive season and therapeutic treatments in an expanded list of species. The purpose of the present study was to monitor the reproductive status of the Commom Palm Civets (Paradoxurus hermaphroditus) by fecal steroid assays. The study was conducted to collect 2635 fecal samples from 12 adult female civets in Dong Nai Biotechnology Center. The fecal contents of Progesterone (P4) and Estradiol (E2) were determinned by using fully automatic ELISA Dynex DS2 (Dynex, USA), Progesterone and Estradiol ELISA Kit (DRG International, Inc., Germany). In non-pregnancy civets, the concentrations of fecal E2 ranged from 0.05 to 7.01 μg/g df, with an average of 1.07 ± 0.84 μg/g and a peak of 3.22 ± 0.64 μg/g. Fecal progesterone metabolites were from 0.15 to 12.32 μg/g, the overall mean of the samples was 1.72 ± 2.16 μg/g. The period of change in E2 content averaging was 28.6 ± 2.29 days. During pregnancy, the P4 content in the stool ranged from 6.21-23.12 μg/g, an average of 15.17 ± 5.22 μg/g and approximately 5 to 7 fold higher than non-pregnant (P

Parámetros sanguíneos y perfil de hormonas reproductivas de hembras de Choloepus hoffmanni en cautiverio

In wild animal species, the use of non-invasive and non-stressful procedures to determine hormone profiles, such as fecal steroid measurements, has considerably increased the comprehension of their reproductive physiology. Since there is limited information related to the reproductive hormone profiles of the two-toed sloth, Choloepus hoffmani, a study was conducted in captive specimens at the “Sloth Sanctuary” (Cahuita, Limón, Costa Rica), in order to determine: (i) the reliability of the fecal progesterone and estrogen extraction and its quantification with an AIA-360® analyzer, (ii) assess blood parameters in this species and (iii) evaluate if there is a correlation between fecal and plasmatic steroids. The study was performed over a three-month period, from November, 2013 to January, 2014, with a total amount of 208 fecal samples collected from five sexually mature females weighing 6.32 Kg in average. The average of the median concentrations of progesterone in feces of the five females was 124.21 ng/g, and 1 708.95 pg/g for estrogen. The average minimal and maximal values were 50.96 ng/g and 1 057.46 ng/g for progesterone and, 1 191.77 pg/g and 2 159.24 pg/g for estradiol. In plasma, progesterone median values were 1.26 ng/mL, showing a minimum of 0.32 ng/mL and 12.84 ng/mL as maximum values. The plasmatic estrogen levels were below the detection limit of the equipment (25 pg/mL). Although there was no strong statistical correlation between the fecal and plasmatic progesterone fluctuations, our data suggests that the plasmatic events are mostly reflected in feces two days afterwards. Also, the levels of progesterone were elevated during the first half of November and, subsequently, showed a successive and important reduction in all the females tested. Finally, our results demonstrated that fecal steroid extractions and their measurement in a AIA-360®, allowed the successful detection and represents an alternative non-invasive determination of hormone profiles in C. hoffmani.