An allometric study of fatty acids and sensitivity to lipid peroxidation of brain microsomes and mitochondria isolated from different bird species

The objective of this investigation was to examine the relationship between body size, fatty acid composition and sensitivity to lipid peroxidation of mitochondria and microsomes isolated from the brain of different size bird species: manon, quail, pigeon, duck and goose, representing a 372-fold range of body mass. Fatty acids of total lipids were determined using gas chromatography and lipid peroxidation was evaluated using a chemiluminescence assay. The allometric study of the fatty acids present in brain mitochondria and microsomes of the different bird species showed a small number of significant allometric trends. In mitochondria the percentage of monounsaturated fatty acids, was significantly lower in the larger birds (r = − 0.965; P < 0.008). The significant allometric increase in 18:2 n-6; linoleic acid (r = 0.986; P < 0.0143), polyunsaturated (r = 0.993; P < 0.007) and total unsaturated (r = 0.966; P < 0.034) in brain microsomes but not in mitochondria may indicate a preferential incorporation of this fatty acid in the brain endoplasmic reticulum of the larger bird species. The brain of all birds studied had a high content of docosahexaenoic acid. However brain mitochondria but not microsomes isolated from all the birds analyzed showed a significant decrease of arachidonic and docosahexaenoic acids during lipid peroxidation. The allometric analyses of chemiluminescence were not statistically significant. In conclusion our results show absence of correlation between the sensitivity to lipid peroxidation of brain mitochondria and microsomes with body size and maximum life span.