Relationship between separation time of plasma from heparinized whole blood on plasma biochemical analytes of loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta).

Concentrations and activities of selected biochemicals of loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) were determined for plasma that was separated from whole blood samples that were kept up to 96 hr post collection (PC) in a refrigerator. Blood samples collected from seven juvenile captive loggerhead sea turtles were added to tubes containing lithium heparin and were placed on ice. Equal amounts of anticoagulated whole blood from the lithium heparin tubes were then aliquoted into plastic tubes and stored as whole blood under refrigeration until they were centrifuged at 0, 4, 24, 48, and 96 hr PC.