National Research Council of The National Academies. Nutrient Requirements of Nonhuman Primates Second Revised Edition, 2003. The National Academies Press, Washington, D.C. 2003, iii+286pp, ISBN 0-309-06989-0 (pbk.) Reviewed by: Mary Ellen Goldberg BS, VMT, LAAS Virginia Commonwealth University Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology Department of Physical Therapy P.O. Box 980224 Richmond, VA 28298-0224 USA For many of us, nutrient requirements may not be one of our favorite topics of study, but we can certainly agree on the importance of proper nutrition for the health of our animals. The authors have produced a work that will be essential to the library of any zoo, university, organization or private research facility housing nonhuman primates. This work not only supplies hard facts for an exceedingly wide range of primates, it has made the material interesting and easily understandable. The National Research Council has provided a work that will be referred to again and again. The 2nd Edition of Nutrient Requirements of Nonhuman Primates, 2003 is an update on the previous 1972 and 1978 1st Editions. This work includes over 250 species of primates. The species and data cover research animals, educational animals, and rare, endangered and threatened animals. This book is meant to aid any institution, organization or group that must supply a diet to provide good health for their primates. Each chapter's reference list is extensive and will be a further support for primate's health and well-being. Chapter 1 is new for the 2nd Edition. It discusses foraging in the wild, gastrointestinal morphology and physiology including Prosimians, Callitrhixs, Cebids, Colobines, Non-colobine Cercopithecines, Small and Great Apes. It illustrates digestive systems of Faunivores, Frugivores, and Folivores and Omnivores. It shows how foraging not only provides a way of acquiring food, but it satisfies a behavioral and social need. I found the gastrointestinal illustrations fascinating as they chronicled the changes in development for various species and how the digestive system has adapted to the diets of primates. Chapter 2 covers energy requirements of adults, growth of young, pregnancy and lactation. It includes metabolized energy (ME) and basal metabolic rate (BMR) with calculations for each. The tables include Estimated Daily ME and BMR for Adult Captive Animals, Biologic and Metabolic Parameters of Species Fed Dry Diets and Biologic and Metabolic Parameters of Young Fed Liquid or Dry Diets. The variety of species will aid any dietetics department where primates are housed. Chapter 3 discusses carbohydrates including classification and digestion incorporating examples of wild sources of fiber and what fiber levels are found in captive primate diets. Fiber evaluations are essential for gastrointestinal health. Carbohydrates are a prime source of energy and classified as monosaccharides, disaccharides, oligosaccharides, and polysaccharides. Many herbivorous and omnivorous species display a preference for specific sugars which may be related to natural feeding habits. Chapter 4 includes proteins sources and requirements. Protein quality includes proteins limiting in sulfur amino acids (a discussion revolves around soy protein, casein, and lactalbumin), proteins limiting in lysine (addition of gluten alone does not provide enough protein) and amino acid requirements (these seem to be similar to those requirements in humans). Old World species are usually fed a diet of 15% (dry matter) protein, while New World species receive a diet with 25% protein. Being clinically oriented, I found the protein deficiency, pregnancy and lactation, malnutrition in young primates and protein excess specifically interesting and helpful. It is worth noting that no animal should be sent into early renal failure from too much protein in the diet. Chapter 5 covers fats and fatty acids. Fats provide high energy and are included in diets as a source of essential fatty acids. Fat absorption is discussed in detail. Milk fats are discussed for breast fed primates and under experimental conditions where the mother is fed a specific diet containing fatty acids. Essential n-3 fatty acids are critical for normal brain development in the last trimester of pregnancy and for sustaining normal continued development. Essential n-6 fatty Acids are discussed showing the importance of linoleic acid. That monkey milk does have cholesterol, but commercial diets contain no cholesterol is discussed. Cholesterol is synthesized in tissues if not supplied in the diet. Chapter 6 talks about minerals. These are important for the structure of organs and tissues, starters of enzyme and hormones activity, maintaining body fluid balance and to help control cell replication and differentiation. Macrominerals and trace minerals are discussed in depth providing the reader with an understanding of the importance of supplementation into a primate's diet whereas in the wild the primate gets this from plant and animal tissues and geophagia. Chapter 7 discusses vitamins. Vitamins are organic compounds that are necessary in tiny amounts for growth, maintenance, and reproduction. Fat-Soluble (Vitamin A and Carotenoids, Vitamin D, Vitamin E, and Vitamin K) and Water-Soluble ( Thiamin, Riboflavin, Pantothenic Acid, Niacin, Vit. B6, Biotin Folacin, Vit. B12, Vit. C, Choline, Carnitine, and Inositol) vitamins are covered in detail leaving the reader no doubt as the importance of maintaining normal levels. Discussion of deficiencies and excesses are covered with signs and symptoms of both. Chapter 8 begins "Water, sometimes overlooked as an essential nutrient, is critical for the health and well-being of all primates." It appears that if you name a body system, water is involved in some way. The chapter involves water content and percentages of water found in the body, activity restriction, effects of cold, and effects of heat and water deprivation. Water sources, water loss and water quality are included. Water requirements conclude this chapter discussing functions of the body and water's involvement. Chapter 9 is entitled "Pathophysiologic and Life-Stage Considerations." Nutrition from birth to weaning includes growth of mother reared and artificially reared infants plus milk volume and composition. We are given examples of formulas that can be used, long-term consequences of different modes of infant feeding, and weaning foods and strategies. Nutrition and aging covers dietary restriction, bone, immunology, wound healing, and atherosclerosis. Body composition includes obesity, regulation of glucose mechanism, and diabetes. As I have stated earlier, the references appear to be all encompassing. Chapter 10 starts with diet formulation. The goals are stated as follows, "To integrate natural dietary habits, digestive morophology and physiology, nutrient requirements, and the physical characteristics and nutrient composition of potential feedstuffs to make diets that will be eaten in amounts sufficient to meet nutrient needs". The effects of processing include a guide to production of a diet. Factors affecting food intake include sensory input and regulation of food intake. Dietary husbandry lets us know that the primary food source must (i.e. dry food) be proper, supplements are exactly what the word says only an add-in, and browsing foods must not be depended on for complete nutrition. Extensive care must be given to provide the correct plants to each species since the wrong browse food can have toxic effects on different primate species. Chapter 11 covers nutrient requirements with reference to purified and semipurified diets. Tables are listed to provide data for various species and the composition of the diet. Chapter 12 is basically tables, but wait until you read these tables. It is difficult for me to imagine more complete tables on this topic anywhere. The list of foods where these nutrients are found is literally A-Z. Table 12-1 is 15 pages of Composition of Important Feeds: Energy Values, Proximate Analyses, Plant Cell Wall Constituents, Data Expressed As-Fed and Dry (100% Dry Matter). Table 12-2 is 14 pages of Composition of Important Feeds: Minerals, Data Expressed As-Fed and Dry (100% Dry Matter). Table 12-3 is 13 pages of Composition of Important Feeds: Vitamins, Data Expressed As-Fed and Dry (100% Dry Matter). Table 12-4 is 13 pages of Composition of Important Feeds: Amino Acids, Data Expressed As-Fed and Dry (100% Dry Matter). Table 12-5 is 2 pages of Mineral Concentrations in Macro- and Micromineral Sources. Table 12-6 is one page of Characteristics of Various Sources of Fats and Oils (data on as-fed basis) Chapter 13 discusses Food as a Component of Environmental Enrichment. The reader is referred to the Code of Federal Regulations (1991), the Federal Register (1999), and The Psychological Well-Being of Nonhuman Primates (1998) for description and the need for environmental enrichment. Topics for food and foraging include wild environment vs. captivity, species differences, manipulation of foraging opportunities, live prey, exudates and gums (I always love watching the little prosimians, marmosets, and tamarins on film lapping away at the gum from a tree.), water and High-Fiber foods. The epilogue pulls everything to a coherent conclusion telling us that environmental enrichment provides both physiologic and psychological needs. The appendix is a table covering a partial list of species in the order primates. It is followed by About the Authors and the Index. Let me conclude by saying that this book encompasses everything imaginable under the topic of Nutrient Requirements of Nonhuman Primates. There should be a copy in every facility, whether public or private, to be referred to, most probably weekly. I can highly recommend this text and admit to enjoying it more than any other nutrition text I've read. References Martin, David P. 1986. Feeding and Nutrition. Pp. 661-3 in Zoo and Wild Animal Medicine, Murray A. Fowler, Editor. Philadelphia: W.B. Saunders Company. Knapka, Joseph J. ET. Al. 1995. Nutrition. Pp. 211-248 in Nonhuman Primates in Biomedical Research: Biology and Management, B. Taylor Bennet, Christian R. Abee, Roy Henrickson, Editors. San Diego: Academic Press. Fortman, J.D., Hewett, T.A., and Bennet, B.T., The Laboratory Primate, CRC Press, Boca Raton, 2002, chap. 2. **************************************************************************** Primate-Science Book Reviews are supported in part by grant RR15311-01 from the National Center for Research Resources, National Institutes of Health. P-S Book Reviews may be reposted or republished, but must cite the author and Primate-Science. This review should be cited as follows: Jolly, Clifford J. Review of Primate Ecology and Social Structure: Vol. 2, New World Monkeys, by Robert W. Sussman (2000), Primate-Science Book Reviews, Primate-Science List Serve [primate-science@primate.wisc.edu] (September 14, 2000). ****************************************************************************
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