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First published online April 18, 2008
Journal of Experimental Biology 211, 1414-1425 (2008)
Published by The Company of Biologists 2008
doi: 10.1242/jeb.014290

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Effects of maternal carotenoid availability in relation to sex, parasite infection and health status of nestling kestrels (Falco tinnunculus)

Liesbeth De Neve^1,*, Juan A. Fargallo², Pablo Vergara², Jesús A. Lemus², Manuel Jarén-Galán³ and Inés Luaces⁴

¹ Departamento Biología Animal, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Granada, C/Fuentenueva s/n, 18071 Granada, Spain
² Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales-CSIC, C/José Gutiérrez Abascal 2, 28006 Madrid, Spain
³ Departamento de Biotecnologia de Alimentos, Instituto de la Grasa-CSIC, Avda. Padre Garcia Tejero 4, 41012 Sevilla, Spain
⁴ GIR Diagnostics S.L., C/San Andrés 2, 28180 Torrelaguna Madrid, Spain

^* Author for correspondence (e-mail: ldeneve{at}ugr.es)

Accepted 2 March 2008

Mothers can strongly influence the development of their offspring, and if maternal resources are limited, they may influence optimal reproductive strategies. In birds, maternally deposited carotenoids are a prominent component of egg yolk and are vital for the development of the embryo. However, results of long-lasting fitness consequences of this early nutritional environment have been scarce and inconsistent. In addition, sex-biased sensitivity to different egg components is one of the mechanisms postulated to account for sex-linked environmental vulnerability during early life. However, this important aspect is usually not accounted for when investigating maternal investment in carotenoids. In this study we gave carotenoid (lutein) supplements to female Eurasian kestrels (Falco tinnunculus) before and during egg laying. The experiment increased female plasma carotenoids, but this effect was not apparent in hatchling and fledgling plasma carotenoid concentration. Also, results showed that carotenoid supplementation increased the high density lipoprotein to low density lipoprotein ratio in adult females, suggesting that dietary carotenoids may influence lipid metabolism. Furthermore, the effect of the treatment was manifested in several nestling health state parameters. Nestlings of carotenoid-supplemented females were infested by less intestinal parasite groups, had higher lymphocyte concentrations in blood plasma, and were less stressed (heterophile to lymphocyte ratio) than control nestlings. In addition, an interaction between the experimental treatment and nestling sex was apparent for globulin concentrations, favouring the smaller male nestlings. Thereby, suggesting that males benefited more than females from an increase in maternal carotenoid investment. Our study shows that an increase in carotenoids in the maternal diet during egg laying favours nestling development in kestrels, and may also affect nestlings in a sex-specific way.

Key words: antioxidants, maternal effects, lipoproteins, globulins, heterophile, lymphocyte, nematodes, coccidia

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