Do insect food-derived ecdysteroids appear in the blood of waterfowl, predatory birds, carnivorous mammals and primates?
15 affiliations
- 1Department of Parasitology and Zoology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Budapest, Hungary
- 2HUN-REN UVMB Climate Change: New Blood-sucking Parasites and Vector-borne Pathogens Research Group, Budapest, Hungary
- 3Institute of Pharmaceutical Analysis, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
- 4Department of Forensic Medicine, Albert Szent-Györgyi Clinical Center, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
- 5Hannover Zoo, Hannover, Germany
- 6HUN-REN Balaton Limnological Research Institute, Tihany, Hungary
- 7Nyíregyházi Állatpark Nonprofit Kft. (Sosto Zoo), Nyíregyháza, Hungary
- 8HUN-REN Veterinary Medical Research Institute, Budapest, Hungary
- 9Department of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, University of Veterinary Medicine, Budapest, Hungary
- 10Budapest Zoo and Botanical Garden, Budapest, Hungary
- 11Department of Exotic Animal, Wildlife, Fish and Honeybee Medicine, University of Veterinary Medicine, Budapest, Hungary
- 12Aggtelek National Park Directorate, Jósvafő, Hungary
- 13Department of Evolutionary Zoology and Human Biology, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
- 14Institute of Pharmacognosy, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
- 15HUN-REN-SZTE Biologically Active Natural Products Research Group, Szeged, Hungary
Abstract
Arthropod molting hormones, the so-called ecdysteroids were experimentally shown to have anabolic effects in higher vertebrates, promoting energy supply, protein synthesis, and tissue growth. Insectivorous songbirds (Aves: Passeriformes) and bats (Mammalia: Chiroptera) were demonstrated to have naturally acquired ecdysteroids in their blood. However, it is not known if partly insectivorous or artificially insect-fed vertebrates would also have ecdysteroids in their circulation. The aim of this screening study was to clarify this, by collecting blood samples of mammals, birds and reptiles that are wild-living or receive insect diet at zoological gardens, followed by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography and high-resolution quadrupole-orbitrap mass spectrometry analyses. The zoo animal samples originated from one reptilian species (n = 3), as well as one species of insectivorous mammals (n = 8), three species of carnivores (n = 17) and one species of primates (n = 2). Three further species of road-killed mammalian carnivores were sampled postmortem (n = 15). Finally, blood samples were also drawn and analyzed from six species of water-associated (n = 44) and three species of predatory birds (n = 47). Ecdysteroids were detected in two out of 136 samples: from a Common Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus) that contained 58.9 nM 20-hydroxyecdysone (20E), and from a beech marten (Martes foina) that contained 40.9 nM dacryhainansterone (a phytoecdysteroid). Although these concentrations do not mean evidence for sustained biological or anabolic effects, 20E was reported to transactivate estrogen receptors β and α with EC50 values of 13.0 and 25.7 nM, respectively. Accordingly, our results show for the first time that ecdysteroids may be present in pharmacologically relevant concentrations in the blood of predominantly carnivorous species of birds and mammals. However, unlike in songbirds and bats which continuously feed on insects, detectable levels of ecdysteroids appear only rarely in the blood of opportunistic insectivores, therefore their health benefits remain questionable in artificially and occasionally insect-fed zoo animals.
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BibTeX
@article{hornok2026insect,
title = {{Do insect food-derived ecdysteroids appear in the blood of waterfowl, predatory birds, carnivorous mammals and primates?}},
author = {Sándor Hornok and Róbert Berkecz and Andor Pitó and Paula Baro and Kathrin M. Röper and József Lanszki and Alexandra Biácsi and Károly Erdélyi and Endre Sós and Viktor Molnár and Endre Papp and Sándor Boldogh and Solt Szabolcs and Gergő Keve and Attila Hunyadi},
journal = {PLOS One},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0357290},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0357290},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Do insect food-derived ecdysteroids appear in the blood of waterfowl, predatory birds, carnivorous mammals and primates?
AU - Sándor Hornok
AU - Róbert Berkecz
AU - Andor Pitó
AU - Paula Baro
AU - Kathrin M. Röper
AU - József Lanszki
AU - Alexandra Biácsi
AU - Károly Erdélyi
AU - Endre Sós
AU - Viktor Molnár
AU - Endre Papp
AU - Sándor Boldogh
AU - Solt Szabolcs
AU - Gergő Keve
AU - Attila Hunyadi
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/02
JO - PLOS One
DO - 10.1371/journal.pone.0357290
UR - https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0357290
AB - Arthropod molting hormones, the so-called ecdysteroids were experimentally shown to have anabolic effects in higher vertebrates, promoting energy supply, protein synthesis, and tissue growth. Insectivorous songbirds (Aves: Passeriformes) and bats (Mammalia: Chiroptera) were demonstrated to have naturally acquired ecdysteroids in their blood. However, it is not known if partly insectivorous or artificially insect-fed vertebrates would also have ecdysteroids in their circulation. The aim of this screening study was to clarify this, by collecting blood samples of mammals, birds and reptiles that are wild-living or receive insect diet at zoological gardens, followed by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography and high-resolution quadrupole-orbitrap mass spectrometry analyses. The zoo animal samples originated from one reptilian species (n = 3), as well as one species of insectivorous mammals (n = 8), three species of carnivores (n = 17) and one species of primates (n = 2). Three further species of road-killed mammalian carnivores were sampled postmortem (n = 15). Finally, blood samples were also drawn and analyzed from six species of water-associated (n = 44) and three species of predatory birds (n = 47). Ecdysteroids were detected in two out of 136 samples: from a Common Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus) that contained 58.9 nM 20-hydroxyecdysone (20E), and from a beech marten (Martes foina) that contained 40.9 nM dacryhainansterone (a phytoecdysteroid). Although these concentrations do not mean evidence for sustained biological or anabolic effects, 20E was reported to transactivate estrogen receptors β and α with EC50 values of 13.0 and 25.7 nM, respectively. Accordingly, our results show for the first time that ecdysteroids may be present in pharmacologically relevant concentrations in the blood of predominantly carnivorous species of birds and mammals. However, unlike in songbirds and bats which continuously feed on insects, detectable levels of ecdysteroids appear only rarely in the blood of opportunistic insectivores, therefore their health benefits remain questionable in artificially and occasionally insect-fed zoo animals.
SN - 1932-6203
ER -