Untargeted Metabolomics Reveals Fruit Secondary Metabolites Alter Bat Nutrient Absorption.

ABSTRACT: The ecological interaction between fleshy fruits and frugivores is influenced by diverse mixtures of secondary metabolites that naturally occur in the fruit pulp. Although some fruit secondary metabolites have a primary role in defending the pulp against antagonistic frugivores, these metabolites also potentially affect mutualistic interactions. The physiological impact of these secondary metabolites on mutualistic frugivores remains largely unexplored. Using a mutualistic fruit bat (Carollia perspicillata), we showed that ingesting four secondary metabolites commonly found in plant tissues affects bat foraging behavior and induces changes in the fecal metabolome. Our behavioral trials showed that the metabolites tested typically deter bats. Our metabolomic surveys suggest that secondary m

SUBMITTER: Gelambi M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11399193 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature