Abstract:
In captivity, cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus) frequently suffer from several unusual chronic
diseases that rarely occur in their free-ranging counterparts. In order to develop a better
understanding of their metabolism and health we documented the urine organic acids of 41
apparently healthy captive cheetahs, in an untargeted metabolomic study, using gas
chromatography-mass spectrometry. A total of 339 organic acids were detected and
annotated. Phenolic compounds, thought to be produced by the anaerobic fermentation of
aromatic amino acids in the distal colon, as well as their corresponding glycine conjugates,
were present in high concentrations. The most abundant organic acids in the cheetahs urine
were an as yet unidentified compound and a novel cadaverine metabolite, tentatively
identified as N1,N5-dimethylpentane-1,5-diamine. Pantothenic acid and citramalic acid
concentrations correlated negatively with age, while glutaric acid concentrations correlated
positively with age, suggesting possible dysregulation of coenzyme A metabolism in older
cheetahs. This study provides a baseline of urine organic acid reference values in captive
cheetahs and suggests important avenues for future research in this species.
