Chemical characterization of milk oligosaccharides of an African lion (Panthera leo) and a clouded leopard (Neofelis nebulosa)

Akitsugu Senda, Emi Hatakeyama, Rui Kobayashi, Kenji Fukuda, Yusuke Uemura, Tadao Saito, Craig Packer, Olav T. Oftedal, Tadasu Urashima

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

    17 Citations (Scopus)

    Abstract

    The Carnivora include the superfamilies Canoidea and Feloidea. In species of Canoidea other than the domestic dog, Canis lupus, the milk contains only traces of lactose and much larger concentrations of oligosaccharides. In this study, lactose was found to be the dominant saccharide in the milk or colostrum of two species of Feloidea, namely the African lion (Panthera leo) and the clouded leopard (Neofelis nebulosa). In addition to lactose, the following oligosaccharides were characterized in the milk of a lion; Neu5Gc(α2-3)Gal(β1-4)Glc (3'-NGc-SL), Fuc(α1-2)Gal(β1-4)Glc (2'-fucosyllactose) and GalNAc(α1-3)[Fuc(α1-2)]Gal(β1-4)Glc (A-tetrasaccharide). The colostrum of a clouded leopard contained 3'-NGc-SL, Gal(α1-3)Gal(β1-4)Glc (isoglobotriose) and A-tetrasaccharide. These oligosaccharides differ in some respects from those previously identified in another species of Feloidea, the spotted hyena (Crocuta crocuta). These milks contained 3'-NGc-SL and A-tetrasaccharide, while spotted hyena colostrum did not; however, it contained Neu5Ac(α2-3)Gal(β1-4)Glc (3'-NAc-SL) and Gal(α1-3)[Fuc(α1-2)]Gal(β1-4)Glc (B-tetrasaccharide).

    Original languageEnglish
    Pages (from-to)687-693
    Number of pages7
    JournalAnimal Science Journal
    Volume81
    Issue number6
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - 2010 Dec

    Keywords

    • African lion
    • Carnivora
    • Clouded leopard
    • Felidae
    • Milk oligosaccharides

    ASJC Scopus subject areas

    • Agricultural and Biological Sciences(all)

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