TABLE 5.
Mean biochemistry values for the present study and previously published African penguin studies.
| Variable | The present study | Mazzaro et al. (2013) | Teare (2013) | Cray et al. (2010) | Mazzaro et al. (2004) | Graczyk, Cranfield & Bicknese (1995) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sample size | 108 (serum) | 21 (plasma) | 1048–2884 | 20 (plasma) | 65 (plasma) | 17 (serum) |
| Individuals | Healthy adults (breeding season) | 15 adults (outside of molting season) | 423–788 healthy adults and juveniles | Healthy adults (pre-feeding) | Adults | 9 uninfected juveniles |
| Area | South African | |||||
| breeding colonies | Mystic Aquarium | 37 captive institutions | Adventure Aquarium | 6 captive USA institutions | Baltimore Zoo | |
| Sodium | 154 | 155 | 155 | - | 153–156 | - |
| Potassium | 5.1 | 5.2 | 4.5 | - | 3.1–4.6 | - |
| Chloride | 121 | 116 | 116 | - | 110–115 | - |
| Calcium | 2.77 | 3.00 | 2.62 | - | - | - |
| Inorganic Phosphate | 1.53 | 0.97 | 1.17 | - | - | 0.84 |
| Creatinine | 24 | 12 | 40 | - | - | 36 |
| Cholesterol | 5.36 | 7.27 | 7.07 | - | - | - |
| Glucose | 11.78 | 12.49 | 12.09 | 10.87 | - | - |
| Uric Acid | 394 | - | 516 | 488 | - | 360 |
| Bile Acid | 9.53 | - | - | 7.1 | - | - |
| Total serum protein | 59 | - | 53 | 63 | - | - |
| Albumin | 19 | 19 | 18 | - | - | - |
| Globulin | 40 | 31 | 32 | - | - | - |
| Albumin/Globulin | 0.48 | 0.62 | 0.56 | - | - | - |
| Aspartate transaminase | 218 | 173 | 164 | 301 | - | - |
| Creatine kinase | 419 | 237 | 362 | 598 | - | - |
Standard International (SI) units are used with conversion table used to convert from conventional units (Ritchie, Harrison & Harrison 1994).Note: Please see the full reference list of the article, Parsons, N.J., Schaefer, A.M., Van der Spuy, S.D. & Gous, T.A., 2015, ‘Establishment of baseline haematology and biochemistry parameters in wild adult African penguins (Spheniscus demersus)’, Journal of the South African Veterinary Association 86(1), Art. #1198, 8 pages. http://dx.doi.org/10.4102/jsava.v86i1.1198, for more information.