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First published online June 27, 2008
Journal of Experimental Biology 211, 2233-2238 (2008)
Published by The Company of Biologists 2008
doi: 10.1242/jeb.018523

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Stable carbon isotopes in exhaled breath as tracers for dietary information in birds and mammals

Christian C. Voigt^1,*, Leonie Baier², John R. Speakman³ and Björn M. Siemers²

¹ Evolutionary Ecology Research Group, Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Alfred-Kowalke-Straße 17, D-10315 Berlin, Germany
² Max-Planck-Institute for Ornithology, Sensory Ecology Group, Eberhard-Gwinner-Straße, 82319 Seewiesen, Germany
³ Aberdeen Centre for Energy Regulation and Obesity, School of Biological Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Tillydrone Avenue, Aberdeen AB24 2TZ, UK

View larger version (10K): [in this window] [in a new window]   Fig. 1. Stable carbon isotope ratio of exhaled breath (13Cbreath) in six Myotis myotis before (A), during (B) and after (C) they were fed mealworms. Before the experiment, bats had been maintained on a diet of mealworms with a stable carbon isotope signature of –24.1 (broken line in A). During the experiment, bats were fed mealworms with an isotopic signature of –22 (broken line in B and C). Regression curves in B were calculated following a single-pool exponential model for each individual (each individual is represented by individual symbols and regression curves). Values in A and C are presented as box plots with the borders of the boxes depicting the 25 and 75 percentiles and the solid line within the box depicting the median. Exhaled breath of fasted bats was depleted by approximately –5.8 in 13C in relation to the dietary isotope signature (13Cdiet, A), whereas exhaled breath was only depleted by approximately –2.6 in 13C in relation to 13Cdiet in satiated bats (estimated individual plateaus of the exponential regression models; C).

View larger version (6K): [in this window] [in a new window]   Fig. 2. Isotopic difference between diet and exhaled CO2 in various mammals and birds, when fasting, when fed but endogenous substrate not isotopically equilibrated to the new diet (Fed/non-equi.), and when fed and endogenous substrate isotopically equilibrated to the new diet (Fed/equi.). The broken line across the box plots indicates a perfect match of 13Cbreath with 13Cdiet. Species-specific data and sources are listed in Table 2. The borders of the box plots represent the 25 and 75 percentiles, T-marks are the 5 and 95 percentiles, and filled circles are outliers. Solid lines within the boxes depict the median and broken lines within the boxes the mean value. Solid lines above the box plots depict significant differences among groups.

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