AVIS-IBIS

Birds of Indian Subcontinent

Sucrose Intolerance in Birds: Simple Nonlethal Diagnostic Methods and Consequences for Assimilation of Complex Carbohydrates

Publication Type:Journal Article
Year of Publication:1994
Authors:Malcarney, HL, del Rio, CMartínez, Apanius, V
Journal:The Auk
Volume:111
Issue:1
Date Published:1994
ISBN Number:00048038
Keywords:Dumetella, Dumetella carolinensis, Galeoscoptes, Galeoscoptes carolinensis, Hylopsar, Hylopsar purpureiceps, Lamprotornis, Lamprotornis purpureiceps, Mimidae, Sturnidae, Sturnus, Sturnus vulgaris
Abstract:Gray Catbirds (Dumetella carolinensis, Mimidae) and Purple-headed Glossy-Starlings (Lamprotornis purpureiceps, Sturnidae) showed depressed ingestion and increased fecal sugar contents when shifted from glucose and fructose to sucrose solutions. These species also exhibited no increases in plasma glucose after ingestion of sucrose, but an increase in plasma glucose after ingestion of equicaloric doses of a mixture of glucose and fructose. In vitro measurements of intestinal disaccharidase activities in D. carolinensis revealed insignificant sucrase activity, and low levels of maltase activities. These results support the hypothesis that sucrose intolerance is a shared-derived character of the monophyletic lineage that includes starlings, mimids, and thrushes, and indicate that sucrose intolerance in birds can be easily diagnosed with a combination of behavioral and nonlethal physiological measurements. We suggest that, in birds, low intestinal maltase activity is correlated with the lack of sucrase activity. We further hypothesize that sucrose-intolerant birds are poor at assimilating complex carbohydrates.
URL:http://www.jstor.org/stable/4088515
Short Title:The Auk
Scratchpads developed and conceived by (alphabetical): Ed Baker, Katherine Bouton Alice Heaton Dimitris Koureas, Laurence Livermore, Dave Roberts, Simon Rycroft, Ben Scott, Vince Smith