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Screening the foods of an endangered parrot, the kakapo (Strigops habroptilus), for oestrogenic activity using a recombinant yeast bioassay
- Source :
- Reproduction, fertility, and development. 12(3-4)
- Publication Year :
- 2001
-
Abstract
- In recent years the possibility of environmental oestrogens affecting the reproduction of vertebrates has become an issue of both public and scientific interest. Although the significance of such chemicals remains controversial there is clear evidence that, in some contexts, environmental oestrogens can influence the fertility of vertebrates. Highly endangered species represent a situation in which even modest reductions in the fertility of key individuals may have implications for the survival of the entire species. This paper reports the screening of both natural and supplementary foods of the kakapo (Strigops habroptilus), a critically endangered New Zealand nocturnal parrot, for oestrogenic activity using a recombinant yeast based bioassay. Low levels of oestrogenic activity were detected in one of the ‘chick-raising’ foods, but no oestrogenic activity was detected in the adult supplementary foods. The oestrogenicity of a range of phytochemicals possibly associated with the kakapo natural diet was also examined. Two such phytochemicals, podocarpic acid and its reduced derivative podocarpinol, showed weak oestro-genic activity (approximately 10 –6 and 10 –4 of the activity of 17-b -oestradiol, respectively).
- Subjects :
- medicine.medical_specialty
media_common.quotation_subject
Endangered species
Zoology
Phytoestrogens
Reproductive technology
Saccharomyces cerevisiae
Biology
In Vitro Techniques
Sensitivity and Specificity
Critically endangered
Endocrinology
Podocarpic acid
Parrots
Genes, Reporter
Internal medicine
Genetics
medicine
Bioassay
Animals
Humans
Estrogens, Non-Steroidal
Molecular Biology
media_common
Podocarpinol
Recombination, Genetic
Reproduction
Estrogen Receptor alpha
Phenanthrenes
Recombinant yeast
Isoflavones
Recombinant Proteins
Reproductive Medicine
Receptors, Estrogen
Abietanes
Animal Science and Zoology
Biological Assay
Female
Plant Preparations
Food Analysis
Developmental Biology
Biotechnology
Subjects
Details
- ISSN :
- 10313613
- Volume :
- 12
- Issue :
- 3-4
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- Reproduction, fertility, and development
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....8cc191b1ebcfd4d07efda77913d88d9f