RT Journal Article
T1 A multidisciplinary approach to the evaluation of the effects of foraging on landfills on white stork nestlings
A1 Pineda-Pampliega, Javier
A1 Ramiro, Yolanda
A1 Herrera-Dueñas, Amparo
A1 Martinez-Haro, Mónica
A1 Hernández, José Manuel
A1 Aguirre de Miguel, José Ignacio
A1 Höfle, Ursula
AB The use of landfills as foraging areas by white storks (Ciconia ciconia) is a recent well-known behaviour. While several studies have highlighted positive effects at a populational level others suggest that the presence of pollutants, pathogens and the lower presence of antioxidants in the food could pose a health risk for individuals. The objective of this study was to evaluate potential effects of the use of landfills as a food resource on the physiology and health of white stork nestlings, by a multidisciplinary approach based on the analysis of nutritional status, body condition, blood parameters, oxidative stress balance and the presence of pathogens. Results showed better body condition in individuals associated with landfills compared to the ones feeding on natural resources, as well as better nutritional status, as indicated by higher levels of albumin, cholesterol, and triglycerides in plasma. As many pollutants have a pro-oxidant effect, we evaluated oxidative stress balance, with no differences in the indicators of damage except for methaemoglobin (metHb), significantly higher in nestlings associated with landfill-origin food. Regarding antioxidants, GSH was higher in nestlings associated with landfills, which may suggest a hormetic response induced potentially by the presence of pollutants in waste. Nestlings fed food from landfills also had a higher presence of Escherichia coli with a multiresistant phenotype to antibiotics. In conclusion, our results show that nestlings fed with a higher proportion of food from landfills present a better nutritional status and body condition than those fed with a higher proportion of natural diet, being the only indicators of negative effects of the use of this food resource the higher percentage of metHb in the peripheral blood and the presence of antibiotic-resistant E. coli.
PB Elsevier
SN 0048-9697, ESSN: 1879-1026
YR 2021
FD 2021-02-10
LK https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/8170
UL https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/8170
LA eng
NO Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (MINECO)
NO Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria (INIA)
NO Junta de Comunidades de Castilla-La Mancha/Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional (FEDER)
NO Universidad Complutense de Madrid (UCM)
DS Docta Complutense
RD 3 may 2024