Vitamins A and E in insectivorous mammals living in Karelia

The aim of the work was to study the vitamins A (retinol) and E (α-tocopherol) content in 5 species of the order Eulipotyphla living in the northern periphery of the range, caught in the summer-autumn period – the common shrew ( Sorex araneus ), the Laxman's shrew ( Sorex caecutiens ), the pygmy shrew ( Sorex minutus ), the common water shrew ( Neomys fodiens ), and the European mole ( Talpa europea ). Animals were caught in the summer-autumn period. The retinol and tocopherol content in the organs (liver, kidney, heart, skeletal muscle) of underyearlings was determined by high-performance liquid chromatography. The highest vitamin A content in all species was found in the liver, while the retinol level was significantly lower in the kidney, cardiac and skeletal muscles. The maximum values were found in the liver of the water shrew. No significant differences in the retinol content were found between the species. The minimum vitamin E content was found in the liver of the pygmy shrew. The vitamin E content in the heart of the water shrew was significantly higher than in other shrew species and the mole. The low tocopherol level in the skeletal muscle of the water shrew and the mole may be associated with the ecological characteristics of the animals. Thus, the vitamins A and E level found in the tissues of the small insectivorous mammals largely depends on the ecological characteristics and evolutionary organization of the species, being one of the physiological indicators of animal adaptation to environmental conditions.