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Milk composition of franciscana dolphin (Pontoporia blainvillei) from Rio Grande do Sul, southern Brazil

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  17 March 2008

Glauco Caon ,
Eduardo Resende Secchi ,
Edison Capp  and
Luiz Carlos Kucharski
Glauco Caon*
Affiliation:
Laboratório de Metabolismo e Endocrinologia Comparada, Departamento de Fisiologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Rua Sarmento Leite 500, 2° andar, Campus Centro, 90050-170, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil Grupo de Estudos de Mamíferos Aquáticos do Rio Grande do Sul, R. Felipe Neri, 382 cj. 203, 90550-190, Bairro Auxiliadora, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
Eduardo Resende Secchi
Affiliation:
Laboratório de Tartarugas e Mamíferos Marinhos, Departamento de Oceanografia, Fundação Universidade Federal do Rio Grande—FURG, Cx. Postal 474, Rio Grande—RS, 96200-970, Brazil Laboratório de Mamíferos Marinhos, Museu Oceanográfico ‘Prof. E.C. Rios’—FURG, Cx. Postal 379, Rio Grande—RS, 96200-970, Brazil
Edison Capp
Affiliation:
Laboratório de Ginecologia e Obstetrícia, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Departamento de Ginecologia e Obstetrícia—FAMED/UFRGS, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
Luiz Carlos Kucharski
Affiliation:
Laboratório de Metabolismo e Endocrinologia Comparada, Departamento de Fisiologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Rua Sarmento Leite 500, 2° andar, Campus Centro, 90050-170, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
*
Correspondence should be addressed to: Glauco Caon, Laboratório de Metabolismo e Endocrinologia Comparada, Departamento de Fisiologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Rua Sarmento Leite 500, 2° andar Campus Centro, 90050-170, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil email: glauco_caon@terra.com.br
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Abstract

Milk is the only external energy source for mammals in their early stages of life. Its composition varies during lactation in baleen whales and pinnipeds, while only descriptive studies are available for odontocetes. The aim of this work was to identify the components of the milk of franciscana, Pontoporia blainvillei, from southern Brazil. Samples were manually collected from lactating females (N = 5) incidentally caught in the gill-net fishery. The amount of fat, protein, carbohydrate, mineral and trace metal content, and caloric value of the samples were estimated. Milk of the franciscana dolphin presented mean fat, protein and carbohydrate concentrations similar to those described for other coastal species. A significant increase in fat concentration was observed in winter months, with a higher energy density. Potassium was the mineral found in higher amounts. Zinc, mercury and copper were detected in low concentrations. Due to different habitat conditions along the species distribution, the presence of a highly seasonal reproductive period and inter-population genetic variability, studies on milk composition in other areas is recommended.

Keywords

milk compositionminerals, contaminantsfranciscanaPontoporia blainvilleiBrazil
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom , Volume 88 , Special Issue 6: Marine Mammals , September 2008 , pp. 1099 - 1101
Copyright
Copyright © Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 2008

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