Observable Metabolites and Metabolomic Sampling Protocols for Managed African Savanna Elephant (Loxodonta africana) Whole Blood Using H-NMR Spectroscopy

Jordan Wood; David R Morgan; Kimberly Ange-van Heugten; Maria Serrano; Larry J Minter; Vivek Fellner; Michael K Stoskopf

doi:10.3390/metabo12050400

Observable Metabolites and Metabolomic Sampling Protocols for Managed African Savanna Elephant (Loxodonta africana) Whole Blood Using H-NMR Spectroscopy

Metabolites. 2022 Apr 28;12(5):400. doi: 10.3390/metabo12050400.

Authors

Jordan Wood^{1

2}, David R Morgan², Kimberly Ange-van Heugten^{1

2}, Maria Serrano^{2

3}, Larry J Minter^{2

3

4}, Vivek Fellner¹, Michael K Stoskopf^{2

3}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Animal Science, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27607, USA.
² Environmental Medicine Consortium, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27607, USA.
³ Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, 1060 William Moore Dr, Raleigh, NC 27607, USA.
⁴ North Carolina Zoo, 4401 Zoo Pkwy, Asheboro, NC 27205, USA.

Abstract

We used nuclear magnetic spectroscopy (NMR) to evaluate the metabolomics of heparinized whole blood drawn from six African savanna elephants (Loxodonta africana) maintained on a well characterized diet. Whole blood samples obtained under behavioral restraint, then quickly frozen in liquid nitrogen, were stored at -80 °C until analysis. Frozen samples were thawed under controlled conditions and extracted with methanol and chloroform to separate the polar and non-polar metabolites. We identified 18 polar metabolites and 14 non-polar lipids using one-dimensional (1D) and two-dimensional (2D) NMR spectra. Despite unexpected rouleaux formation in the thawed frozen samples, spectra were consistent among animals and did not vary dramatically with age or the sex of the animal.

Keywords: African elephant; metabolomics; proton-NMR.

Grants and funding

This research was funded by the Environmental Medicine Consortium.