Impact of the inclusion of pectin and chitosan on gastrointestinal transit and apparent digestibility in Myrmecophaga tridactyla under professional care.

Citation

Gómez SM, Bustos Méndez RL, and Martínez Mora SA. 2025. Impact of the inclusion of pectin and chitosan on gastrointestinal transit and apparent digestibility in Myrmecophaga tridactyla under professional care. In Treiber K, Brooks M, D’amato-Anderson J, Nylander J, Eds. Proceedings of the Sixteenth Conference on Zoo and Wildlife Nutrition, AZA Nutrition Advisory Group, Oklahoma City, OK.

Abstract

In three individuals of Myrmecophaga tridactyla, eight dietary treatments were tested, with increasing levels of pectin or chitosan, all based on a properly formulated diet under the nutritional requirements of the focal species. Four different inclusion percentages were used for each product: 1.5%, 2.0%, 2.5%, and 3.0%, using Titanium dioxide (TiO₂) as an indigestible marker to estimate intestinal transit time, and the apparent digestibility coefficient (%ADC), calculated through total fecal collection, corresponding to each treatment. The results showed significant differences between treatments in both transit times. Treatments with 1.5–2.0% pectin and 1.5% chitosan showed longer transit times and higher digestibility. Conversely, the treatment with 3.0% chitosan showed a shorter transit time, indicating lower gastrointestinal retention and greater variability in the apparent digestibility coefficient, which could be associated with potential fermentative disturbances or adverse microbiological responses. The study also identified a positive correlation (r = 0.856) between transit time and %ADC, suggesting that greater chyme retention favors digestive efficiency.

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