The carotenoid conundrum: improved nutrition boosts plasma carotenoid levels but not immune benefits of carotenoid supplementation |
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Authors: | Peters Anne Magdeburg Steffen Delhey Kaspar |
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Institution: | 1. Behavioural Ecology of Sexual Signals Group, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Vogelwarte Radolfzell, Schlossallee 2, 78315, Radolfzell, Germany 2. School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, VIC 3168, Australia
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Abstract: | Carotenoids are widely heralded as central to honest signaling due to their dual roles as pigments and antioxidants/immunostimulants. The aim of this study is to test if diet quality and carotenoids alone or in an interaction influence condition, carotenoid availability in plasma and immune responsiveness. Therefore, a diet experiment during the moult of great tits, Parus major, was performed. In a two-way design, we manipulated general quality (digestibility, protein and vitamin content) as well as carotenoid (lutein) content of semi-synthetic diets. Higher quality diet improved individual condition since birds had greater body mass, and to a lesser extent, higher hematocrit. In addition to the expected positive effect of carotenoid supplementation and individual lutein consumption on circulating lutein, there was a positive effect of enhanced diet quality on plasma carotenoid levels. Carotenoid supplementation, but not diet quality, improved the local inflammatory response and maintenance of body mass during a humoral immune reaction. The enhancement of circulating carotenoid levels by improved general quality of the diet or individual condition could provide a testable, mechanistic explanation for the variation in effects of carotenoid supplementation studies. |
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