Blood profile of vicuña (vicugna vicugna) in captivity at Huancavelica, Peru

In order to determine the serum biochemical profile of the vicuna in conditions of captivity (fed cultivated grasses), were obtained protein levels, glucose and cholesterol. Sixteen samples of blood male vicuña youth (captive) in the barn at the National University of Huancavelica (UNH) were collected. The analysis were performed at the Laboratory of Animal Physiology and Biochemistry of the UNH, through visible light spectrophotometry (UV Genesis 10), according to the protocol established by Wiener (2000). The results of glucose, cholesterol and total protein were: 100.06 ± 36.4, 21.69 ± 9.19 ± 1.8 and 6.5 respectively. These results differ with those reported by Siguas (2005), Fowler (1998), Garnica et al. (2003) who, under normal conditions (fed with wild grasses), found significant differences in terms of total protein that was higher in conditions of captivity (fed cultivated grasses), which reflects the change in the food consumed in these conditions by both camelid types.