E-ISSN 2218-6050 | ISSN 2226-4485
 
2025, Vol: 15, Issue: 2
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Research Article


Fecal glucocorticoid metabolites can be used as a stress indicator in bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus)

Estelle Ferenczi, Birgitta Mercera, Karl Mercera, Caroline Gilbert, Fabienne Delfour, Fanny Pilot-storck.


Abstract
Background:
Glucocorticoids increase in response to the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis stimulation, and their metabolites can be measured in dolphins’ feces.

Aim:
This study aimed to assess the welfare of bottlenose dolphins under human care by measuring fecal glucocorticoid metabolites.

Methods:
Our study consisted of measuring glucocorticoid metabolites concentration by enzyme immunoassay in fecal samples from five bottlenose dolphins housed in a dolphinarium. Dolphins were sampled once a month over a year, and one day before and two days after the three stressful events.

Results:
We confirmed the validation of an extraction technique and an enzyme immunoassay to measure fecal glucocorticoid metabolites and we observed an increase in their concentration after the stressful events, which provides a biological validation of this method. In parallel, we confirmed that males had a higher concentration of fecal glucocorticoid metabolites than females, with a basal concentration of around 80 and 50 ng/g of dried feces, respectively.

Conclusion:
Our study confirms that fecal glucocorticoid metabolites measurement is a relevant indicator of stress response in bottlenose dolphins under human care, although it needs to take into account the sex and reproductive status of the animals.

Key words: Bottlenose dolphin, Cortisol, Enzyme immunoassay, Feces, Stress


 
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How to Cite this Article
Pubmed Style

Ferenczi E, Mercera B, Mercera K, Gilbert C, Delfour F, Pilot-storck F. Fecal glucocorticoid metabolites can be used as a stress indicator in bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus). Open Vet J. 2025; 15(2): 911-922. doi:10.5455/OVJ.2025.v15.i2.40

Web Style

Ferenczi E, Mercera B, Mercera K, Gilbert C, Delfour F, Pilot-storck F. Fecal glucocorticoid metabolites can be used as a stress indicator in bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus). https://www.openveterinaryjournal.com/?mno=225646 [Access: March 13, 2025]. doi:10.5455/OVJ.2025.v15.i2.40

AMA (American Medical Association) Style

Ferenczi E, Mercera B, Mercera K, Gilbert C, Delfour F, Pilot-storck F. Fecal glucocorticoid metabolites can be used as a stress indicator in bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus). Open Vet J. 2025; 15(2): 911-922. doi:10.5455/OVJ.2025.v15.i2.40


Vancouver/ICMJE Style

Ferenczi E, Mercera B, Mercera K, Gilbert C, Delfour F, Pilot-storck F. Fecal glucocorticoid metabolites can be used as a stress indicator in bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus). Open Vet J. (2025), [cited March 13, 2025]; 15(2): 911-922. doi:10.5455/OVJ.2025.v15.i2.40


Harvard Style

Ferenczi, E., Mercera, . B., Mercera, . K., Gilbert, . C., Delfour, . F. & Pilot-storck, . F. (2025) Fecal glucocorticoid metabolites can be used as a stress indicator in bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus). Open Vet J, 15 (2), 911-922. doi:10.5455/OVJ.2025.v15.i2.40


Turabian Style

Ferenczi, Estelle, Birgitta Mercera, Karl Mercera, Caroline Gilbert, Fabienne Delfour, and Fanny Pilot-storck. 2025. Fecal glucocorticoid metabolites can be used as a stress indicator in bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus). Open Veterinary Journal, 15 (2), 911-922. doi:10.5455/OVJ.2025.v15.i2.40


Chicago Style

Ferenczi, Estelle, Birgitta Mercera, Karl Mercera, Caroline Gilbert, Fabienne Delfour, and Fanny Pilot-storck. "Fecal glucocorticoid metabolites can be used as a stress indicator in bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus)." Open Veterinary Journal 15 (2025), 911-922. doi:10.5455/OVJ.2025.v15.i2.40


MLA (The Modern Language Association) Style

Ferenczi, Estelle, Birgitta Mercera, Karl Mercera, Caroline Gilbert, Fabienne Delfour, and Fanny Pilot-storck. "Fecal glucocorticoid metabolites can be used as a stress indicator in bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus)." Open Veterinary Journal 15.2 (2025), 911-922. Print. doi:10.5455/OVJ.2025.v15.i2.40


APA (American Psychological Association) Style

Ferenczi, E., Mercera, . B., Mercera, . K., Gilbert, . C., Delfour, . F. & Pilot-storck, . F. (2025) Fecal glucocorticoid metabolites can be used as a stress indicator in bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus). Open Veterinary Journal, 15 (2), 911-922. doi:10.5455/OVJ.2025.v15.i2.40


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