Carotenoids and immune performance of adults and chicks in the Bobwhite Quail.

PELUC, S. I.; REED, W. L.; GIBBS, P. S.

Congreso; 125th Stated Meeting of the American Ornithologists' Union; 2007

Mothers can modulate early developmental conditions in embryos and have long-lasting consequences on offspring fitness through deposition of a variety of substances in eggs. Carotenoid allocation to egg yolk is a maternal effect that affects egg quality and nutrient composition. Carotenoids may be beneficial because they have a powerful antioxidant activity, and they can behave as an immunostimulant. In the present study we assessed transgenerational consequences of carotenoid availability through the examination of the relationship between diet carotenoid availability to mothers, allocation to egg yolks and consequent effects on mothers and offspring immune performance, in the Bobwhite quail. Female quail were allowed to access lutein / zeathanxin enriched diet during egg formation. Our results show that increased availability to dietary carotenoids increased females plasma levels and enhanced their cell-mediated imune response to PHA, although it failed to boost the potency of their plasma to kill bacterial colonies. We confirmed the maternal transfer of dietary carotenoids to eggs using HPLC analysis of yolk. Maternally derived carotenoids significantly boosted immune performance of chicks. Chicks hatched from carotenoid enriched eggs showed larger bursas and a higher ability of their plasma to destroy bacteria than control chicks. The differences in chicks immune performance between treatments are likely mediated through pre-hatching maternal effects and yolk carotenoid content.