Evaluation of the environmental enrichment stimulus in the endocrine-behavioral and immune responses of Magellanic Penguins (Spheniscus magellanicus) maintained ex situ

• Grant number: 20/12380-6
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: November 01, 2020
• End date: July 31, 2021
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Veterinary Medicine - Animal Reproduction
• Principal Investigator: Cristiane Schilbach Pizzutto
• Grantee: Christine Ebeling Sippli
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia (FMVZ). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Environmental enrichment is an important tool to increase the prevalence of natural behaviors, physical activities and increase complexity within a captive environment. The changes provided by the application of environmental enrichment may have an impact on the behavioral, endocrine (changes in glucocorticoid levels) and immune responses of animals, since response mediators to stressors have immunomodulatory effects. One way to analyze the animals' innate immune response is through the bactericidal capacity of plasma (BCP). Thus, the objective of this work is to evaluate whether the acute stimulus of environmental enrichment is capable of causing an immunostimulation in nine adult Magellanic penguins (Spheniscus magellanicus) maintained in Aquário de São Paulo, through the neutrophil / lymphocyte proporcion and quantification of bactericidal capacity of plasma (BCP). We also aim to evaluate the effect of this stimulus on the concentrations of glucocorticoids (corticosterone) and on behavioral variables. The project will be divided into two stages: before enrichment (Stage 1), when the animals will be physically restrained to perform puncture of the metatarsal vein and obtain a blood sample; and after enrichment (Stage 2), when an environmental enrichment will be introduced, which will remain in the enclosure for 4 hours. The animals will be contained again in another three moments: 24 hours, 10 and 20 days after the environmental stimulus. The results obtained in Stages 1 and 2 will be analyzed according to the complete descriptive statistics, and the effect of the environmental stimulus on the described variables will be verified through ANOVA models for repeated or independent measures, as needed. The analyzes will be performed through programs such as SPSS or SYSTAT.