Evaluation of minimally invasive metabolomic methods for assessing the health of sturgeons

Almost all species of sturgeon are at risk of extinction throughout their natural range due to a variety of human activities. As a result, there is now a global effort focused on their preservation. For maximum success, sturgeon restoration and reintroduction activities should incorporate information-rich methods for monitoring the health and well-being of sturgeon populations. However, only non-lethal, minimally invasive techniques should be employed due to their status as endangered species. Metabolomics-based monitoring using blood and epidermal mucus has shown considerable potential for application to sensitive or endangered species such as sturgeons. Here, we report the nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR)-detectable serum and epidermal mucous metabolomes of Russian and Siberian sturgeon, with extensive endogenous metabolite assignments. Serum samples were further characterized for higher molecular weight components (e.g., lipoproteins and acute phase proteins) that are closely associated with growth, development, and stress response. Multi- and univariate statistical analyses of these datasets suggest that the Russian sturgeon blood serum metabolome and the Siberian sturgeon epidermal mucous metabolome are notably sex specific. Thus, these datasets provided rich biochemical information useful for improving assessments of both general and sex-specific health, including impacts from environmental stressors (chemical contaminants, temperature extremes, etc.), for wild sturgeon populations.