Carnivores: Supplement meat-based diets with prebiotic plant material to facilitate digestion

Overall effectiveness category Unknown effectiveness (limited evidence)
Number of studies: 1
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How is the evidence assessed?

Effectiveness

50%
Certainty

25%
Harms

0%

Calculating overall effectiveness category

Background information and definitions

Certain carbohydrates are beneficial for the growth of healthy bacteria in the gut. Strict carnivores consume connective tissues that have similar effects as these carbohydrates. However, these animal products are not always easy to obtain and can be unhygienic if animals refuse them in captive conditions. Therefore, a plant alternative aims to replicate the digestive functions of animal tissues in obligate carnivores.

Study locations

Key messages

One replicated, before-and-after study in India found that providing Jerusalem artichoke as a supplement increased two types of gut microbiota, faecal scores and faecal moisture content in leopards.

About key messages

Key messages provide a descriptive index to studies we have found that test this intervention.

Studies are not directly comparable or of equal value. When making decisions based on this evidence, you should consider factors such as study size, study design, reported metrics and relevance of the study to your situation, rather than simply counting the number of studies that support a particular interpretation.

Supporting evidence from individual studies

A replicated, before-and-after study in 2012 of Indian leopards Panthera pardus fusca in a zoo in India, found that supplementing food with Jerusalem artichoke Helianthus tuberosus, increased two types of gut microbiota, faecal scores and moisture content. Lactobacillus (8.24 log10cfu/g faeces) and Bifidobacterium spp. (13.04 log10cfu/g faeces) and mean faecal scores (2.39) and faecal moisture content (232.1 g/kg) were higher compared to a diet with no Jerusalem artichoke (Lactobacillus: 7.15 log10cfu/g faeces; Bifidobacterium spp.: 12.13 log10cfu/g faeces; faecal score: 1.80; faecal moisture content: 183.7 g/kg). The Jerusalem artichoke appears to improve gut health by promoting beneficial bacteria in the colon. Prior to treatment, eleven leopards housed individually were fed their normal diet of buffalo meat-on-bone with no supplement and during treatment a supplement of Jerusalem artichoke (2% of the diet dry matter basis) was added. Each trial consisted of 18 days of adaptation followed by four days of data collection (blood and faecal samples). Faecal scores were recorded daily (1-5, 1 being the most firm) and blood samples were taken using physical restraint in crush cages on the 22^nd day of each trial.
Study and other actions tested
Referenced paper
Pradhan S.K., Das A., Kullu S.S., Saini M., Pattanaik A.K., Dutta N. & Sharma a.K. (2015) Effect of feeding Jerusalem artichoke (Helianthus tuberosus) root as prebiotic on nutrient utilization, fecal characteristics and serum metabolite profile of captive Indian leopard (Panthera pardus fusca) fed a meat‐on‐bone diet. Zoo Biology, 34, 153-162.

Please cite as:

Jonas, C.S., Timbrell, L.L., Young, F., Petrovan, S.O., Bowkett, A.E. & Smith, R.K. (2020) Management of Captive Animals. Pages 527-553 in: W.J. Sutherland, L.V. Dicks, S.O. Petrovan & R.K. Smith (eds) What Works in Conservation 2020. Open Book Publishers, Cambridge, UK.

Where has this evidence come from?

List of journals searched by synopsis

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This Action forms part of the Action Synopsis:

Management of Captive Animals

Related Actions

Actions	Effectiveness	Studies	Category
Carnivores: Provide bones, hides or partial carcasses Action Link	Likely to be beneficial	4	Synopsis Link
Carnivores: Feed whole carcasses (with or without organs/gastrointestinal tract) Action Link	Trade-off between benefit and harms	6	Synopsis Link
Carnivores: Supplement meat-based diet with vitamins or minerals Action Link	No evidence found (no assessment)	0	Synopsis Link