Can the intake of antiparasitic secondary metabolites explain the low prevalence of hemoparasites among wild Psittaciformes?

• Autores: Masello, Juan Francisco; Martínez, Javier; Calderón, Pablo Luciano Sebastian; Wink, Michael; Quillfeldt, Petra; Sanz, Virginia; Theuerkauf, Jörn; Ortiz Catedral, Luis; Berkunsky, Igor; Brunton, Dianne; Díaz Luque, José A.; Hauber, Mark E.; Ojeda, Valeria Susana; Barnaud, Antoine; Casalins, Laura; Jackson, Bethany; Mijares, Alfredo; Rosales, Romel; Seixas, Gláucia; Serafini, Patricia; Silva Iturriza, Adriana; Sipinski, Elenise; Vásquez, Rodrigo A.; Widmann, Peter; Widmann, Indira; Merino, Santiago
• Año de publicación: 2018
• Idioma: inglés
• Tipo de recurso: artículo
• Materia: ANTIPARASITIC METABOLITES; BLOOD PARASITES; CACATUIDAE; HAEMOPARASITES; HERBIVOROUS; OMNIVOROUS; PLANT SECONDARY METABOLITES; PSITTACIDAE; SELF-MEDICATION
• Institución: Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas

Background: Parasites can exert selection pressure on their hosts through effects on survival, on reproductive success, on sexually selected ornament, with important ecological and evolutionary consequences, such as changes in population viability. Consequently, hemoparasites have become the focus of recent avian studies. Infection varies significantly among taxa. Various factors might explain the differences in infection among taxa, including habitat, climate, host density, the presence of vectors, life history and immune defence. Feeding behaviour can also be relevant both through increased exposure to vectors and consumption of secondary metabolites with preventative or therapeutic effects that can reduce parasite load. However, the latter has been little investigated. Psittaciformes (parrots and cockatoos) are a good model to investigate these topics, as they are known to use biological control against ectoparasites and to feed on toxic food. We investigated the presence of avian malaria parasites (Plasmodium), intracellular haemosporidians (Haemoproteus, Leucocytozoon), unicellular flagellate protozoans (Trypanosoma) and microfilariae in 19 Psittaciformes species from a range of habitats in the Indo-Malayan, Australasian and Neotropical regions. We gathered additional data on hemoparasites in wild Psittaciformes from the literature. We considered factors that may control the presence of hemoparasites in the Psittaciformes, compiling information on diet, habitat, and climate. Furthermore, we investigated the role of diet in providing antiparasitic secondary metabolites that could be used as self-medication to reduce parasite load. Results: We found hemoparasites in only two of 19 species sampled. Among them, all species that consume at least one food item known for its secondary metabolites with antimalarial, trypanocidal or general antiparasitic properties, were free from hemoparasites. In contrast, the infected parrots do not consume food items with antimalarial or even general antiparasitic properties. We found that the two infected species in this study consumed omnivorous diets. When we combined our data with data from studies previously investigating blood parasites in wild parrots, the positive relationship between omnivorous diets and hemoparasite infestation was confirmed. Individuals from open habitats were less infected than those from forests. Conclusions: The consumption of food items known for their secondary metabolites with antimalarial, trypanocidal or general antiparasitic properties, as well as the higher proportion of infected species among omnivorous parrots, could explain the low prevalence of hemoparasites reported in many vertebrates.
Fil: Masello, Juan Francisco. Justus-Liebig Universität Gießen; Alemania
Fil: Martínez, Javier. Universidad de Alcalá; España
Fil: Calderón, Pablo Luciano Sebastian. Justus-Liebig Universität Gießen; Alemania
Fil: Wink, Michael. Heidelberg University; Alemania
Fil: Quillfeldt, Petra. Justus-Liebig Universität Gießen; Alemania
Fil: Sanz, Virginia. Instituto Venezolano de Investigaciones Científicas; Venezuela
Fil: Theuerkauf, Jörn. Polish Academy of Sciences; Polonia
Fil: Ortiz Catedral, Luis. Massey University; Nueva Zelanda
Fil: Berkunsky, Igor. Universidad Nacional del Centro de la Provincia de Buenos Aires; Argentina
Fil: Brunton, Dianne. Massey University; Nueva Zelanda
Fil: Díaz Luque, José A.. Fundación para la Investigación y la Conservación de los Loros en Bolivia; Bolivia
Fil: Hauber, Mark E.. University of Illinois; Estados Unidos
Fil: Ojeda, Valeria Susana. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Patagonia Norte. Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente. Universidad Nacional del Comahue. Centro Regional Universidad Bariloche. Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente; Argentina
Fil: Barnaud, Antoine. Direction du Développement Economique; Francia
Fil: Casalins, Laura. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Patagonia Norte. Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente. Universidad Nacional del Comahue. Centro Regional Universidad Bariloche. Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente; Argentina
Fil: Jackson, Bethany. Murdoch University; Australia
Fil: Mijares, Alfredo. Instituto Venezolano de Investigaciones Científicas; Venezuela
Fil: Rosales, Romel. Instituto Venezolano de Investigaciones Científicas; Venezuela
Fil: Seixas, Gláucia. Fundação Neotropica do Brasil; Brasil
Fil: Serafini, Patricia. Estação Ecológica Carijós; Brasil
Fil: Silva Iturriza, Adriana. Instituto Venezolano de Investigaciones Científicas; Venezuela
Fil: Sipinski, Elenise. Sociedade de Pesquisa em Vida Selvagem e Educação Ambiental; Brasil
Fil: Vásquez, Rodrigo A.. Universidad de Chile; Chile
Fil: Widmann, Peter. Katala Foundation; Filipinas
Fil: Widmann, Indira. Katala Foundation; Filipinas
Fil: Merino, Santiago. Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas. Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales; España