IJBPAS, November, 2019, 8(11): 2140-2155 ISSN: 2277–4998 SEASONAL VARIATION ON BIOCHEMICAL AND HORMONAL PROFILE OF UROMASTYX FAT OIL USING GC-MS TECHNIQUE TARIQ N3, FAROOQ B2, QURESHI ZH4, KHAN L1, WAQUAR S1 AND MALIK A1 1: Institute of Molecular biology and biotechnology (IMBB), The University of Lahore-Pakistan 2: Nishter Medical College Multan-Pakistan 3: M. Islam Medical and Dental College, Gujranwala-Pakistan 4: Multan Medical and Dental College-Multan-Pakistan *Corresponding Author: Dr. Arif Malik (PhD): E Mail: [email protected] Received 8th March 2019; Revised 11th April 2019; Accepted 10th May 2019; Available online 1st Nov. 2019 https://doi.org/10.31032/IJBPAS/2019/8.11.4860 ABSTRACT Uromastyx is genus of agamid lizard and known as spiny tailed lizard. By nature, Uromastyx are herbivorous but in younger age love to eat insects and small animals. Uromastyx borrows in desert, rocky and hilly areas. Size of Uromastyx is up to 91cm in adults and 10cm in neonates. Oil of Uromastyx is used for treatment of different disease. Aim of current study was to investigate fatty acid composition and seasonal variations in biochemical and hormonal profile. In two different seasons five samples of Uromastyx were collected and then fat extraction process done in laboratory, from fats of Uromastyx pure fats oil was extracted with Folch method by using chloroform and methanol in 2/1 ratio. GC-MS technique was used for analysis. From five samples, twenty-three fatty acids were identified and percentage of saturated fatty acids was 47.8% while unsaturated fatty acids were 30.4%. Benzenedicarboxlic, an aromatic fatty acid was present in all five samples of two seasons. Metabolites of vitamin B-12 were also identified in it. Hormonal studies of all three parameters luteinizing hormone, follicle stimulating hormone and cortisol were same except testosterone which was high in samples of December month. Study of fatty acids and hormonal profile of different seasons conclude that saturated fatty acids were higher as compared to unsaturated fatty acids. Sample of month December 2140 IJBPAS, November, 2019, 8(11) Malik A et al Research Article values of saturated fatty acids were lower as compared to October and similarly testosterone level were higher in December with all other parameters remained same. Keywords: Gas chromatography Mass spectrometry (GC-MS), Uromastyx, Vitamin B-12, Luteinizing Hormone (LH) INTRODUCTION Uromastyx is Asian and African made easier for their prey to be captured in genus of agamid lizard, collectively they are such areas. Whereas, they may live over the known as spiny tailed lizards. Uromastyx, wider ranges of such rocky lands with greater mastigures or dab lizards belong to the variations in the external environment. kingdom Animalia and class Reptilian. Environment may range from -7° to 60°C. Uromastyx are primarily herbivorous while Uromastyx is coped up to maintain its body they eat small animal and insects mostly the temperature due to its cold bloodiness. young lizards. Beingterrestrial species Optimum temperature that is required by inhibiting unproductive habitat and relatively specie to live a healthy life is around 20° harsh as well [1]. The population of therefore; in up and down temperatures it Uromastyx may be found exaggerated over maintains its body temperature to certain the different areas where it inhabits itself limit such as around 20°C [3]. according to the suitable environment. For the purpose it burrows land to a Whereas, its population may be found deeper side and hid itself there where there is affected in some of the areas where it does a great variation in the temperature as not inhabit due to the suitable environment. compared to the surface of land. It relishes Areas occupying the larger densities of the the hard environments such as humid discussed species include spiny and rocky environment it easily stays in the areas where areas, deserts, and they also inhabit in the the humidity is quite enough. And mostly the areas with some rocky surfaces as well. Their rocky areas including in the habitat of population is scarce in the areas where the Uromastyx have very rare amounts of rainfall desert area is open and sandy [2]. They are therefore, availability of water and humidity found to occur near or under the rocky varies a lot. Apart from the discussed surfaces where they dig for themselves and situation Uromastyx can tolerate wider the discussed areas are mostly beneath the ranges of humidity and can even tolerate the cliffs or bushes where they can hide scarcity of available water [4]. Their size themselves from the predators and the areas ranges from 25 cm to 91cm and neonates are 2141 IJBPAS, November, 2019, 8(11) Malik A et al Research Article more than 7-10 cm in length. Like reptiles, while they differ in species on the basis of its these lizard colors change according to the habitat and eating behavior. In most of the temperature during cool weather they appear cases Uromastyx is believed to be dull and dark but the color become lighter in herbivorous but in very rare cases it may also warm weather, especially when basking eat insects usually in the earlier age of their Uromastyx body have dark pigmentation that life. Most of the time in their life span they allow them to absorb sunlight more spend their time walking around in the warm effectively. Tail of the Uromastyx is surfaces under the brighter sunlight whereas, muscular, heavy can swung and attack with whenever they find some danger they get great velocity. Uromastyx generally sleep in hideout in the underground chambers of the their burrows in position that their tails ground mostly rocky and spiny surfaces. closest to the opening, in order to thwart Uromastyx strives to find out its friendly intruders [5]. Many Uromastyx species can habitat in the spiny, hilly or rocky areas and be very easily confused. All the Uromastyx these are areas where it finds out its safer species have thought to have identical shelter at the time it encounters any danger spherical head circumference which is and discovers its accessible vegetation [7]. usually larger in its size and have spiny tails Uromastyx inhabit a range stretching through which are quite long. Uromastyx have most of North Africa, the Middle East, different intricate designs when it comes to ranging as far east as Iran and southern Iraq. their outer skin usually the patterns are of Revision of the genus U. ocellata was found similar type. Whereas, the most known to be wide spread and regionally abundant. practice to differentiate among its species is Two species of Uromastyx are known from to study their specific patterns as they differ Sudan: Uromastyx dispar Heyden, 1827 and in the case of one species to another. Lichtenstein, 1823. These agamid lizards are The specie is adopted to have brighter regularly eaten and sold in produce markets colors in their background such as orange, by Local peoples, especially Bedouins of yellow, green, red which are spreaded over central and northern Arabia [8]. Hunting of with spots of brown or grey color. The spots dab lizard still exists in Arabia, because it is mentioned are mostly denser over the region considered a delicious meat that provides of its neck and shoulders [6]. As discussed strength. In a study conducted on the meat of most of the species are darker in the color Uromastyx aegypitus, the meat was found to 2142 IJBPAS, November, 2019, 8(11) Malik A et al Research Article contain high protein (82.64%) and is largest agamid lizard. In warm part of the cholesterol but low levels of fat and saturated day it becomes active due to which it known fatty acids. The nutritional quality and as diurnal animal. In numbers of terrestrial protein characteristics were also studies by ectoderms considerable capacity for Abu-Tarboush, where low levels of some physiological thermoregulation and amino acids were recorded. However, since behavioral like in Uromastyx aegypitus [12]. this lizard is still traditionally eaten in some At low ambient temperature large numbers of African and Arab countries, more studies are ectoderms remain survive because of needed to verify the nutritional quality of its physiological adaptation. On the other hand different edible parts [9]. There is much freezing conditions are susceptible for information available on the fatty acid terrestrial ectoderms and different strategies composition of the lipids present in meat oil are present to that enable terrestrial ectoderm of many edible animals while very little is against the freezing condition. published on fatty acid contents of these MATERIALS AND METHODS lizards. Analysis of fatty acids profile For dissection process injection provides information about the essential fatty ketasol (ketamine) 1ml was injected acids contents of Uromastyx lizards which intraperitoneal to make them unconscious. are willingly consumed. After the dissection the fat and adipose The liver and fat oils may provide a tissues was collected from the parts around rich and underexploited source of the start of tail. The fat was collected in polyunsaturated fatty acids, including falcon tubes and store in the laboratory for essential omega-3s and Omega-6s, thus further process. The initial average weight of increasing the commercial value of the lizard collected fat was 12g and the average final [10]. The consumption of the highly purified weight of fat was 3.15g. unsaturated fatty acids: eicosapentaenoic The most popular Folch method was for (C20:5n-3) and docosahexaenoic (C22:6n-3) extraction; is linked to the development of the brain and One gram of fat tissue is nervous tissue in infants and visual function, homogenized with chloroform/ and reduces the incidence of coronary heart methanol (2/1), after dispersion at disease [11].