Fatty acids are essential components of equine nutrition, serving as important sources of energy and playing a role in various physiological processes. They are categorized into saturated and unsaturated fatty acids, with the latter further divided into monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids. In horses, omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids are of particular interest due to their involvement in inflammatory pathways and cell membrane integrity. These fatty acids can be obtained from dietary sources such as forage, grains, and supplements. Research investigates their impact on equine metabolism, performance, and overall health. This page gathers peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that explore the dietary sources, metabolic roles, and potential health implications of fatty acids in horses.
Orme CE, Harris RC.The aim of the study was to develop a model for the pre-exercise elevation of plasma free fatty acids in the horse, with a view to its future use in investigations of fat metabolism during exercise. A comparison of the lipase releasing and anticoagulative effects of heparin and a related substance pentosan polysulphate was investigated. Furthermore, the ability of heparin and pentosan polysulphate to affect an increase in plasma free fatty acid concentration, when co-administered with-a triglyceride emulsion, was quantified. Doses of 0.39 and 1.3 mg kg-1 body wt of heparin and pentosan polysul...
Carroll GL, Matthews NS, Hartsfield SM, Slater MR, Champney TH, Erickson SW.Six ponies were used to investigate the effect of tolazoline antagonism of detomidine on physiological responses, behavior, epinephrine, norepinephrine, cortisol, glucose, and free fatty acids in awake ponies. Each pony had a catheter inserted into a jugular vein 1 hour before beginning the study. Awake ponies were administered detomidine (0.04 mg/kg intravenously [i.v.]) followed 20 minutes later by either tolazoline (4.0 mg/kg i.v.) or saline. Blood samples were drawn from the catheter 5 minutes before detomidine administration (baseline), 5 minutes after detomidine administration, 20 minute...
Meyer H, Flothow C, Radicke S.Three horses (approximately 190 kg BW) fitted with a permanent fistula at the end of the jejunum were used. To a control diet (1/3 hay, 2/3 mixed feed) one of two fat types (coconut fat or soybean oil) were added at 2 levels resulting in fat intakes of 0.1 g (control diet) to 0.5 or 1 g/kg BW 0.5 d, respectively. Each experimental period consisted of 2 weeks adaptation, 2 days of breath tests (before and hourly after the morning meal) and 5 days sampling of chyme. Crude fat, crude protein, concentrations of organic acids (SCFA, lactic acid), pH, and the minerals calcium, magnesium and phosphor...
Kronfeld DS.Does dietary fat supplementation during conditioning improve athletic performance, especially in the heat? Fat adaptation has been used to increase energy density, decrease bowel bulk and faecal output and reduce health risks associated with hydrolysable carbohydrate overload. It may also reduce spontaneous activity and reactivity (excitability), increase fatty acid oxidation, reduce CO2 production and associated acidosis, enhance metabolic regulation of glycolysis, improve both aerobic and anaerobic performance and substantially reduce heat production. A thermochemical analysis of ATP generat...
Holland JL, Kronfeld DS, Meacham TN.To test the hypothesis that dietary fats may improve tractability of horses, the effects of four total mixed diets on behavior were compared. The control diet (CON) contained chopped hay, corn, oats, beet pulp, molasses and a mineral mix; the three test diets contained an additional 10% (by weight) corn oil (CO), soy lecithin-corn oil (SL-CO), or soy lecithin-soy oil (SL-SO). Eight horses were fed each diet in random order for four 3-wk periods. Behavior was observed during the last week of each feeding period. Spontaneous activity was evaluated using a pedometer and was less in horses fed SL-...
Stachel CS, Weik HO.Incubation of equine very low density lipoproteins with lipoprotein lipase isolated from horse postheparin plasma resulted in the formation of lipoproteins of a higher density. Lipoproteins isolated after incubation and plasma lipoproteins had a different chemical composition and triacylglycerol fatty acid pattern. In vitro-obtained low density lipoproteins contained substantially more phospholipids and triacylglycerols but significantly less cholesteryl esters than native low density lipoproteins. Comparing the triacylglycerol fatty acid pattern of plasma very low density lipoproteins and in ...
Silver M, Fowden AL.In the present study, ten insulin challenge tests were carried out on nine chronically catheterized fetal foals between 253 and 314 days gestation (term > 320 days). Changes in fetal plasma concentrations of glucose, catecholamines, cortisol, ACTH, free fatty acid (FFA) and lactate were measured before and after a bolus dose of insulin (0.5-2.0 u/kg I.V.). Fetal blood gases, pH, haemoglobin levels and heart rate were measured throughout the 2-3h experimental period. The fetuses fell into two distinct groups on the basis of proximity to delivery and basal plasma cortisol and catecholamine level...
Pérez MD, Calvo M.beta-Lactoglobulin is the major whey protein in the milk of ruminants and some nonruminants, such as pigs and horses. Although beta-lactoglobulin was first isolated 60 yr ago, no function has been definitely ascribed to beta-lactoglobulin. Recent x-ray crystallographic studies have advanced knowledge of the structure of beta-lactoglobulin, which is homologous with that of retinol-binding protein and lipocalycins; the function of these proteins seems to be participation in the transport of small hydrophobic substances. By analogy, this protein has been suggested as having a role as a transporte...
Stammers JP, Hull D, Silver M, Fowden AL.The effects of different nutritional states on plasma lipid concentrations have been examined in pregnant mares and their fetuses. Maternal and fetal arterial catheters were inserted into 12 pony mares between 244-303 days' gestation (term 320-360 days) and observations made from 5 days following the insertion of catheters. After recovery from surgery maternal and fetal arterial samples were withdrawn from 7 mares with normal feeding patterns (Group IA), from four of these mares at the end of a 30 h fast and 3 h later following refeeding (Group IB) and six mares who failed to re-establish norm...
von Engelhardt W, Burmester M, Hansen K, Becker G.Unidirectional fluxes of short-chain fatty acids across pig, sheep and pony caecum, proximal and distal colon were studied under short-circuit current conditions in Ussing chambers. Findings are compared with results from guinea pig. Marked species differences are apparent; highest mucosal-to-serosal fluxes of acetate, propionate and butyrate were seen in guinea pig, lower values in pig and smallest fluxes in sheep and pony. Segmental differences between caecum, proximal and distal colon exist mainly in guinea pig and are less developed in pig, sheep and pony. Inhibition of Na+/H+ exchange by ...
The Journal of nutritionDecember 1, 1994
Volume 124, Issue 12 Suppl 2745S-2753S doi: 10.1093/jn/124.suppl_12.2745S
Kronfeld DS, Ferrante PL, Grandjean D.Four mathematical approaches are proposed to determine optimal ranges of nutrients for specified purposes. For exercise, the diet must provide optimal mixtures of fuels, also optimal amounts of nutrients conducive to a sound structure, a desired power/weight ratio, a water-electrolyte system that resists dehydration and buffers hydrogen ions, a tolerance to the cumulative stress of repetitive competition and tractable attitude. The nutritional strategy of carbohydrate loading risks a variety of abnormalities in dogs and horses. An alternative strategy of fat adaptation (the combination of fat ...
The Journal of nutritionDecember 1, 1994
Volume 124, Issue 12 Suppl 2723S-2729S doi: 10.1093/jn/124.suppl_12.2723S
Hintz HF.Some aspects of energy, protein and vitamin E nutrition of the performance horse are discussed. The amount, dietary source and time of ingestion of energy before exercise can influence performance. In 1989 the National Research Council (NRC) increased their estimates of energy required by racehorses. Recent studies indicate that the increase was reasonable. Many factors, however, can influence energy requirements. Therefore, the best measure would be body weight and composition of the horse. A proper balance of soluble carbohydrate, fiber, fat and protein is essential. Some guidelines are pres...
Stammers JP, Hull D, Silver M, Fowden AL, Ousey J, Rossdale PD.An in vitro incubation technique was used to examine release of lipids from the equine placenta. Placental tissue was obtained at term (n = 5, term = 320-365 days) and earlier in gestation (n = 8, mean = 266 days). Term placentae were incubated at two temperatures, 4 degrees C (control) and 37 degrees C for 2 h. Pre-term placentae were incubated at 37 degrees C with two different concentrations of fatty acid in the medium. Tissues and media were analysed for their lipid concentrations. Term and pre-term placentae released free fatty acid (FFA) and phospholipid into the incubation medium during...
Bauer JE.The metabolism and clinical potential for dietary polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) modifications using oil supplements containing n-3 and n-6 fatty acids are reviewed. Their use in such disorders as renal disease, inflammatory and immune-related disorders, and dermatological conditions in dogs and cats is discussed. The influence of n-3 fatty acid-rich rations on the endotoxin response in horses is described. Progress has been made toward understanding the clinical potential for PUFAs in these species. However, they have not yet been shown to be efficacious in any of the conditions investig...
Orme CE, Dunnett M, Harris RC.The primary aim of this study was to examine the within-day variation in the concentration of total and individual long chain free fatty acids (C > 14) in normally fed horses. Plasma samples were collected over a 24 h period from 12 resting horses during three separate sessions (six horses in the first session and three in the second and third). Samples were analysed for individual long chain free fatty acids (FFA) and glucose. During normal feeding, the predominant FFA in plasma were palmitic (C16:0), linoleic (C18:2), oleic (C18:1), stearic (C18:0) and linolenic (C18:3). Together these ac...
Fowden AL, Ralph MM, Silver M.Prostaglandins (PGs) are produced by a variety of uteroplacental tissues during pregnancy and are released into the fetal fluid sacs and both the uterine and umbilical circulations. Uterine PG output increases towards term and is enhanced by maternal undernutrition in pregnant ewes and mares. In both species, withdrawal of food but not water for 30-48 h increases uterine venous PG levels and the uterine venous arterial concentration differences in PGE and 13, 14, dihydro-15-keto-prostaglandin F2 alpha (PGFM), the stable metabolite of PGF2 alpha. The increments in uterine V-A concentration diff...
The Journal of nutritionDecember 1, 1993
Volume 123, Issue 12 2152-2157 doi: 10.1093/jn/123.12.2152
Lawrence L, Soderholm LV, Roberts A, Williams J, Hintz H.Four standardbred horses were used in a Latin square design experiment to evaluate the effects of feeding status on metabolic response to exercise. Horses were deprived of food overnight and then fed 0 (control condition), 1, 2 or 3 kg of corn grain approximately 2.5-3 h before exercise. The exercise test consisted of a warm-up phase (heart rate mean = 144 beats/min) followed by 800 m of walking and then a high intensity work bout for 1600 m (heart rate mean = 206 beats/min). All tests were conducted on a high speed equine treadmill on which the horses had been previously conditioned. During e...
Doreau M, Boulot S, Chilliard Y.The yield and composition of milk from nursing mares were studied during the first 2 months of lactation in two groups of six and five saddle mares respectively made thin or fat before foaling, then fed ad lib. post partum. Milk yield did not significantly vary with body condition (16.5 and 15.4 kg/d for fat and thin mares respectively). Milk from fat mares had a higher fat content than milk from thin mares; the reverse was found for protein. The composition of milk fat was modified: milk of fat mares was poorer in short- and medium-chain fatty acids (C8-C14). Milk fat output was affected by b...
Menzeleev RF, Smirnova GP, Chekareva NV, Zvonkova EN, Krasnopol'skiĭ IuM, Shvets VI.An increase of the mouse fibroblast proliferation by ganglioside GM3 from equine erythrocytes is described. The structure of GM3 has been established on the basis of chemical methods, enzymatic degradation, GC-MS, as well as plasma desorption mass spectrometry and HPLC of 9-anthrylmethyl esters of gangliosides to characterize the long-chain base composition. The oligosaccharide moiety includes an N-glycolylneuraminic acid residue, whereas the main components of the lipid moiety are 20:1 sphingosine and 24:0 fatty acids.
Fletcher JE, Erwin K, Beech J.Previous studies have demonstrated that phenytoin decreases the levels of triacylglycerols in several tissues other than skeletal muscle. Since phenytoin is clinically effective in several skeletal muscle disorders, triacylglycerol metabolism in skeletal muscle from four normal Quarter horses and four Quarter horses with hyperkalemic periodic paralysis was examined. The horses with hyperkalemic periodic paralysis had low levels of 18:3 in the phospholipids, low levels of 16:0, 16:1 and 18:3 in the free fatty acids and low levels of 20:4 in triacylglycerols. Triacylglycerol levels were increase...
Watson TD, Burns L, Packard CJ, Shepherd J.The incidence of hyperlipaemia in ponies is highest in mares in late gestation and then early in lactation. Plasma lipid and lipoprotein concentrations were measured to establish the metabolic basis for this and the lipoprotein composition of six healthy Shetland ponies was analysed before pregnancy, in the last six weeks of gestation and one month after foaling. In the pregnant ponies, the concentrations of cholesterol and triglyceride were significantly increased (both P < 0.05) because of increased concentrations of high density lipoproteins (HDL) and very low density lipoproteins (VLDL)...
Pérez MD, Puyol P, Ena JM, Calvo M.The interaction of sheep, horse, pig, human and guinea-pig whey proteins with fatty acids has been studied. Using gel filtration and autoradiography, it was found that sheep beta-lactoglobulin and serum albumin from all species had the ability to bind fatty acids in vitro. Sheep beta-lactoglobulin, isolated from milk, had approximately 0.5 mol fatty acids bound per mol monomer protein, and albumin from sheep, horse and pig contained approximately 4.5, 2.9 and 4.7 mol fatty acids/mol protein respectively. However, beta-lactoglobulin from horse and pig milk had neither fatty acids physiologicall...
Watson TD, Burns L, Freeman DJ, Packard CJ, Shepherd J.1. Apolipoprotein A-I dependent lecithin:cholesterol acyl transferase (LCAT) activity was identified in equine lipoprotein deficient plasma (LPDP). 2. LCAT activity showed no breed or sex variation, and was unaltered postprandially. 3. There was no significant cholesteryl ester transfer activity in equine LPDP. 4. Hydrophobic interaction chromatography on phenyl sepharose failed to unmask transfer activity or identify an inhibitor of cholesteryl ester transfer. 5. In 12 Shetland ponies, plasma high density lipoprotein (HDL) concentrations were positively correlated with those of triglyceride, ...
White IG.When sperm of the ram, bull, boar and stallion are cold-shocked by rapid cooling to near freezing point, motility and metabolic activity are irreversibly depressed and the acrosome and plasma membrane disrupted. Ram sperm become susceptible to cold shock in the proximal corpus region of the epididymis when the cytoplasmic droplet has moved backwards to the distal portion of the sperm midpiece. The membrane constituents phospholipids and cholesterol are important in cold shock which causes loss of lipid from sperm. The susceptibility of sperm to cold shock is linked with a high ratio of unsatur...
Watson TD, Burns L, Love S, Packard CJ, Shepherd J.The metabolic origins of equine hyperlipaemia were investigated by analysing the concentration and composition of plasma lipoproteins in 18 ponies with the condition. The mean concentrations of cholesterol, triglyceride and very low density lipoproteins (VLDL) were increased by 4-, 52- and 19-fold, respectively, compared with a control group of 18 healthy ponies. These increases were due to the appearance of a buoyant VLDL fraction (VLDL1) not present in healthy ponies. The mean diameter of VLDL1 particles was 44% greater than control VLDL, and the particles were enriched in triglyceride and f...
Panjehshahin MR, Yates MS, Bowmer CJ.The fluorescent probes warfarin and dansylsarcosine are known to selectively interact with binding sites I and II, respectively, on human albumin. This paper investigates whether similar binding sites exist on bovine, dog, horse, sheep and rat albumins. Binding sites on albumins were studied by: (1) displacement of warfarin and dansylsarcosine by site I (phenylbutazone) and site II (diazepam) selective ligands; (2) the effects of non-esterified fatty acids (carbon chain lengths: C5-C20) and changes in pH (6-9) on the fluorescence of warfarin and dansylsarcosine; and (3) the ability of site sel...
Watson TD, Burns L, Packard CJ, Shepherd J.Affinity chromatography on heparin sepharose was used to identify 2 lipolytic enzymes in heparinized plasma from horses. One enzyme was typical of hepatic triglyceride lipase (HTGL), because it was resistant to inactivation by high concentrations of NaCl, and it did not require the addition of serum for activity. The other enzyme was identified as lipoprotein lipase (LPL), because of its inactivation at NaCl concentrations in excess of 0.2M, and its dependency on addition of serum as a source of apolipoprotein C-II activator. The enzymes were purified by 347-(HTGL) and 442- (LPL) fold, with yi...
Parks JE, Lynch DV.Composition and thermotropic phase behavior of sperm membrane lipids from species ranging in sensitivity to cold shock were determined. Lipids from whole sperm and sperm plasma membrane were fractionated into neutral lipid, glycolipid, and phospholipid fractions. Compositional analyses were completed for free sterols, phospholipids and phospholipid-bound fatty acids. Phase transition temperatures were determined for phospholipid and glycolipid fractions using differential scanning calorimetry. Cholesterol was the major sterol in sperm lipids of all species. Cholesterol to phospholipid molar ra...
Zimmerman NI, Wickler SJ, Rodiek AV, Hower MA.Four Arabian geldings were used in a randomized, repeated measure design to study the effect of two different diets on plasma free fatty acids at rest and during exercise. On each of four sampling days, two horses were fed one of two isoenergetic diets, either 100% corn or 100% alfalfa, at 22% of their estimated daily energy requirement. Two hours after the consumption of the diet, each horse participated in a submaximal standard exercise test consisting of three consecutive 10-min runs of increasing intensity at heart rates of 132, 140 and 147 beats/min, respectively. There were no significan...
Doreau M, Martin-Rosset W, Barlet JP.Twenty-one circadian blood sample profiles were made in heavy brood mares during pregnancy, lactation or the dry, non-pregnant period. The mares were fed forage-rich diets containing different levels of energy and nitrogen (table 1). Each profile consisted of 7 samples taken at 8 a.m., 11 a.m., 3 p.m., 7 p.m., 11 p.m., 4 a.m. and 8 a.m. The animals were fed at 8:30 a.m. The eleven plasma components evaluated were glucose, non-esterified fatty acids, beta-hydroxybutyrate, acetate, alanine, insulin (energy metabolites), urea, total protein (nitrogen metabolites), calcium, inorganic phosphorus an...
Frost ML, Colton SW, Wertz PW, Downing DT.The C34, C36, and C38 dienoic omega-lactones were isolated from sebum of the horse (Equus caballus) and the double bond positions were determined by stepwise chemical dissection and analysis of the fragments. The structures found could be formed by delta 9-desaturation at the C18-stage of fatty acid biosynthesis followed by a second delta 9-desaturation when the chains reached C24, C26, C28, C30, or C32 and then addition of one to seven 2-carbon units. These findings provide insight into the dimensions and organization of the endoplasmic reticulum in cells of the sebaceous glands.
Patoux S, Istasse L.Eight trained horses (6 mares - 2 geldings, 6 Selle Français, 2 Trotteur Français, 12 ± 5.8 years old, 538 ± 72.5 kg) were offered three diets to potentially affect haematology and the fatty acids (FA) profiles in red blood cells (RBC) membranes. The control diet was composed of 50% hay and 50% concentrate containing mainly rolled barley (48%) and whole spelt (48%). In the case of sunflower oil diet, sunflower oil (62.0% of α-linoleic acid, LA) was incorporated at a rate of 8% and substituted by an equal proportion of barley. In the linseed oil diet, first cold-pressed linseed oil (...
Geelen SN, Lemmens AG, Terpstra AH, Wensing T, Beynen AC.The metabolism of high density lipoprotein cholesteryl esters (HDL CE) was studied in the pony, an animal species without plasma cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) activity. Studies were done in ponies fed a low- (1.5% fat, w/w) and a high-fat diet (11.5%, w/w fat). The ponies fed the high-fat diet had higher plasma HDL CE concentrations (1.08+/-0.15 vs. 0.84+/-0.11 mmol/l, mean+/-S.D., n=6, P<0.01) and plasma lipoprotein lipase (LPL) activities (14.3+/-4.0 vs. 5.7+/-3.4 micromol free fatty acids (FFA)/ml per h, P<0.05) than those on the low-fat diet. Plasma triacylglycerol (TAG) ...
Geelen SN, Blázquez C, Geelen MJ, Sloet van Oldruitenborgh-Oosterbaan MM, Beynen AC.The metabolic effects of feeding soyabean oil instead of an isoenergetic amount of maize starch plus glucose were studied in ponies. Twelve adult Shetland ponies were given a control diet (15 g fat/kg DM) or a high-fat diet (118 g fat/kg DM) according to a parallel design. The diets were fed for 45 d. Plasma triacylglycerol (TAG) concentrations decreased by 55 % following fat supplementation. Fat feeding also reduced glycogen concentrations significantly by up to 65 % in masseter, gluteus and semitendinosus muscles (P < 0.05 and P < 0.01 and P < 0.01 respectively). The high-fat diet significan...
Henry MM, Moore JN, Feldman EB, Fischer JK, Russell B.To investigate the effects of an omega-3 fatty acid-enriched ration on the in vitro response of equine monocytes to endotoxin, an 8-week feeding trial was conducted in which linseed oil served as the source of the omega-3 fatty acid, alpha-linolenic acid. One group of horses was fed a control pelleted ration and the other group was fed an 8% linseed oil-enriched pelleted ration. After 8 weeks of feeding, monocytes were isolated and incubated in the presence of Escherichia coli O55:B5 endotoxin for 6 hr. After 8 weeks on the rations, the mean procoagulant activity and thromboxane B2 production ...
Roy MM, Norton EM, Rendahl AK, Schultz NE, McFarlane D, Geor RJ, Mickelson JR, McCue ME.An 11G nucleotide repeat in the 3' UTR of FAM174A was recently postulated as a risk allele with a dominant mode of inheritance for equine metabolic syndrome (EMS) and laminitis status in Arabian horses. The objective of this project was to evaluate this hypothesis in a large and diverse across-breed population. A total of 301 ponies, 292 Morgans, 64 Arabians, 49 Tennessee Walking Horses and 59 Quarter Horses were genotyped for six observed G repeat alleles in the FAM174A 3' UTR. Phenotype data included laminitis status, baseline insulin, glucose, non-esterified fatty acids, triglycerides, adip...
Silva DM, Holden SA, Lyons A, Souza JC, Fair S.The aim of the present study was to assess the effect of the addition of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) on the in vitro quality of cooled and frozen-thawed stallion semen. In Experiment 1, semen from 10 stallions was collected (three ejaculates per stallion). Semen was diluted to 100×106 spermatozoa mL-1 with 0.02mM vitamin E (VE) and 0, 1, 10 or 20ng mL-1 DHA and frozen. Semen was thawed and total motility (TM), rapid progressive motility (PM), acrosome integrity, membrane fluidity and morphology were assessed. In Experiment 2, semen from three stallions was collected (three ejaculates per stall...
Viafara JAS, Portilho RV, Maculan R, Souza Júnior JF, Silva CM, Rodrigues PG, El Azzi MS, Souza JC.This study evaluated the presence of polyunsaturated fatty acids in circulating blood and in the ovarian follicular fluid of mares, after supplementation of the diet with linseed oil. Six Mangalarga Marchador mares, weighing 397.00±31.89 kg, were kept on native pasture, and assigned to the current study. In a switch over design, mares were randomly allocated to receive 150 ml of vegetable oil daily, containing polyunsaturated fatty acids n3 (62.23 g ALA, 20.34 g LA, 2.27 g EPA, 2.32 g DHA), (n=3) or no supplementation (n=3) in two replicates. Blood and follicular fluid samples were taken on t...
Vervuert I, Klein S, Coenen M.The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of fat supplementation on postprandial glycaemic and insulinaemic responses in horses fed a corn meal. Four horses were fed three different diets: (1) cracked corn (CC), (2) cracked corn with soybean oil (CC+SBO), and (3) cracked corn with fish oil (CC+FO). Each diet was adjusted so there was a starch intake of 2 g/kg bodyweight (BW) and an intake of 0.2 mL/kg BW of FO and SBO. The increases in mean plasma glucose and insulin concentrations, peak values, and areas under the curve were similar for all diets (time P<0.05, diet not significa...
Ralston SL, Baile CA.Ponies are large nonruminant herbivores which are capable of utilizing the products of both enzymatic digestion in the small intestine and bacterial fermentation (volatile fatty acids, VFAs) in the cecum and large colon as sources of metabolizable energy. Recent studies have demonstrated that ponies utilize nutrient stimuli from both carbohydrate and fat digestion in the small intestine and VFAs in the cecum and large colon in the control of meal frequency. These animals, however, rely primarily upon oropharyngeal and external stimuli to control the size and duration of meals. This is perhaps ...
Reilly JD, Hopegood L, Gould L, Devismes L.The lipid chemistry of the normal equine hoof, together with the effect of oral supplementation with an evening primrose oil mixture (EPOM) on its growth, growth rate and lipid content was assessed in a controlled and blinded feeding trial at the Defence Animal Centre. Twelve horses were paired as closely as possible according to sex, age, weight, height and colour and then one from each pair was randomly allocated to treatment or control groups. The treatment group received 30 ml of oral EPOM/day, otherwise the nutrition and management regimes were the same for all horses. No significant diff...
Wouters CP, Toquet MP, Renaud B, François AC, Fortier-Guillaume J, Marcillaud-Pitel C, Boemer F, De Tullio P, Richard EA, Votion DM.Atypical myopathy (AM) is a severe rhabdomyolysis syndrome that occurs in grazing horses. Despite the presence of toxins in their blood, all horses from the same pasture are not prone to display clinical signs of AM. The objective of this study was to compare the blood metabolomic profiles of horses with AM clinical signs with those of healthy co-grazing (Co-G) horses. To do so, plasma samples from 5 AM horses and 11 Co-G horses were investigated using untargeted metabolomics. Metabolomic data were evaluated using unsupervised, supervised, and pathway analyses. Unsupervised principal component...
Mann S, Abuelo A, Stokol T, Wakshlag JJ, Bayly W, Reed S, Gandy J, Ramsay JD, Divers TJ.High serum γ-glutamyl-transferase (GGT) activity syndrome in racehorses has been associated with maladaption to exercise. Investigation of affected horses before and immediately after standard exercise may provide critical insight into the syndrome's pathophysiology. Objective: To investigate blood biomarker changes in actively competing racehorses with high GGT activity associated with an exercise challenge. Methods: Case-control study. Methods: High GGT case (age: 2-3 years) and normal GGT control (age: 2-7 years) pairs (3 Thoroughbred, 4 Standardbred pairs) at least 3 months into thei...
Henry MM, Moore JN, Fischer JK.Because certain inflammatory processes are dependent on the fatty acid composition of the cellular membrane, dietary manipulations that replace omega-6 fatty acids with omega-3 fatty acids may modify inflammatory responses. We investigated the effect of supplemental dietary linseed oil, containing the omega-3 fatty acid, alpha-linolenic acid, on in vivo responses of horses to endotoxin. One group of horses (n = 6) was fed a control pelleted ration (0% linseed oil), and another group of horses (n = 6) was fed an 8% linseed oil pelleted ration. After 8 weeks of consuming these rations, all horse...
Orme CE, Dunnett M, Harris RC.The primary aim of this study was to examine the within-day variation in the concentration of total and individual long chain free fatty acids (C > 14) in normally fed horses. Plasma samples were collected over a 24 h period from 12 resting horses during three separate sessions (six horses in the first session and three in the second and third). Samples were analysed for individual long chain free fatty acids (FFA) and glucose. During normal feeding, the predominant FFA in plasma were palmitic (C16:0), linoleic (C18:2), oleic (C18:1), stearic (C18:0) and linolenic (C18:3). Together these ac...
McCann JS, Meacham TN, Fontenot JP.The digestibility and heat production values for three fats of different origin were determined. Four pony geldings (225 kg) were used in a study consisting of four successive digestion trials utilizing a 4 X 4 Latin square design. The four dietary treatments were basal alone and supplemented with 15% corn oil, blended fat or inedible tallow. The blended fat was composed of a mixture of animal and vegetable fats. A 7-d preliminary period preceded a 7-d total fecal collection period for each trial. Heat production values were obtained by indirect calorimetry and calculated from oxygen consumpti...
Mikami T, Tsuchihashi K, Kashiwagi M, Yachida Y, Daino T, Hashi K, Akino T, Gasa S.A sulfatide, O-fatty-acylated 3-sulfogalactosylceramide at C6-O on galactoside, was isolated from equine brain and the chemical structure was characterized by proton NMR and MS. The O-acylation site of the acylated sulfatide was determined by the down-field shift of protons attached to a carbon having an O-acyl group in the NMR spectrum and by analysis of a partially methylated derivative before and after acetalization of the intact sulfatide using GC-MS. The O-acyl chain length was determined by GLC, revealing that it exclusively had palmitoyl and stearoyl residues as the major fatty acids. T...
Mordovskaia VI, Krivoshapkin VG, Pogozheva AV, Baĭkov VG.The gas chromatography method the fat acid content of the young Yakut horse meat fat tissue lipids was studied in relation to the age group, various parts of the body and anatomic topographic location of the fat/It was determined that the of sixth-month young horse is the source of the PUFA omega-3 that allows to recommend horse meat as a dietary product for atherosclerosis prevention. By medial chain fat content the lipids of the 6 month young horses are close to the lipids of milk fat.
Neill SD, O'Brien JJ, McMurray CH, Blanchflower WJ.Cellular fatty acid compositions of contagious equine metritis isolates and three reference Haemophilus equigenitalis cultures were determined by gas chromatography. The chromatographic data were standardised and normalised fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) profiles were produced. The profiles were compared visually and similarity indices were determined using a computer peak matching method. There was little difference between the profiles of the three reference strains, each strain being characterised by three major fatty acids; C 18:1, C 16:0 and 30H-C 14:0. Variations in cultural conditions h...
Milne EM, Doxey DL, Gilmour JS.Serum total lipids, lipoprotein fractions, triglycerides, cholesterol, phospholipids and free fatty acids were measured in horses with acute, subacute and chronic grass sickness (equine dysautonomia) and in colic cases. The values were compared with those of normal grazing and stabled horses. A marked individual variation occurred, but total lipids, triglycerides and free fatty acids were significantly higher than normal in grass sickness and colic cases with cholesterol was significantly higher than normal in grass sickness cases only. Pre-beta lipoprotein was significantly increased in colic...
Breidenbach A, Fuhrmann H, Busche R, Sallmann HP.A simple and sensitive method for direct and continuous monitoring of free fatty acid (FFA) release, by measuring the pH-sensitive change in relative fluorescence intensity of seminaphthofluorescein (SNAFL-1) is described. The method was designed to use a small number of adipocytes isolated from fat pads of rats and biopsy specimens of horses for the detection of decreasing pH in fat cell suspensions caused by released FFA into the incubation medium. Species specific differences of lipolysis were demonstrated when adipocytes of rats and horses are incubated with stimulators or inhibitors of li...
Auyyuenyong R, Henze A, Ungru J, Schweigert FJ, Raila J, Vervuert I.Obesity is a key component of equine metabolic syndrome, which is highly associated with laminitis. Feed restriction and/or exercise are known to alleviate the detrimental effects of insulin resistance in obese ponies. However, little is known about changes in the serum lipid patterns due to weight reduction and its association with disease outcomes. Therefore, the lipid patterns in the serum of 14 mature ponies before and after a 14-week body weight reduction program (BWRP) were investigated by multi-one-dimensional thin-layer chromatography (MOD-TLC). Additionally, sensitivity to insulin (SI...
The Journal of nutritionDecember 1, 1993
Volume 123, Issue 12 2152-2157 doi: 10.1093/jn/123.12.2152
Lawrence L, Soderholm LV, Roberts A, Williams J, Hintz H.Four standardbred horses were used in a Latin square design experiment to evaluate the effects of feeding status on metabolic response to exercise. Horses were deprived of food overnight and then fed 0 (control condition), 1, 2 or 3 kg of corn grain approximately 2.5-3 h before exercise. The exercise test consisted of a warm-up phase (heart rate mean = 144 beats/min) followed by 800 m of walking and then a high intensity work bout for 1600 m (heart rate mean = 206 beats/min). All tests were conducted on a high speed equine treadmill on which the horses had been previously conditioned. During e...
Wolter R, Nouwakpo F, Durix A.A complete pelleted diet (table 1) containing 11 p. 100 of crude protein and 17 p. 100 of cellulose (ADF-lignine according to the method of Van Soest) was distributed to ponies and rabbits. Total digestibilities, partial cumulative digestibilities in different compartments of the digestive tract (stomach, small intestine, caecum, proximal and distal colon) and changes in biochemical composition, measured by pH, VFA, lactic acid and ammonia concentrations, were compared. Total digestibilities (table 2). There was no significant difference in dry matter between the two species. Crude protein dig...
Hallebeek JM, Beynen AC.In a cross-over study with six adult horses, the effect of isoenergetic replacement of dietary glucose by beetpulp on the concentration of plasma triacylglycerols was studied. The test ration contained 25% beetpulp in the dietary dry matter. The feeding of beet pulp lowered plasma triacylglycerol concentrations (p = 0.058) in the fasting state and raised the activity of heparin-released lipoprotein lipase (LPL) (p = 0.059) and the concentration of HDL2 cholesterol (p = 0.058). In the fasting state, the plasma concentrations of free fatty acids (p = 0.073) and those of beta-hydroxybutyrate (p =...
Colton SW, Downing DT.To observe the time-course of formation of sebaceous lipids in the horse, skin was pulse-labelled in vivo by intradermal injection of [1-14C]acetate and the injection sites were harvested at intervals for up to 12 days by skin punch biopsy. The distribution of radioactivity among the major neutral lipid classes and the phospholipids from these biopsies showed that, soon after pulse-labelling, the phospholipids were highly labelled followed by a long-term decrease in radioactivity. Over the same period, the low initial labelling of the dominant component, the equolides (giant ring omega-lactone...
Stammers JP, Hull D, Silver M, Fowden AL, Ousey J, Rossdale PD.An in vitro incubation technique was used to examine release of lipids from the equine placenta. Placental tissue was obtained at term (n = 5, term = 320-365 days) and earlier in gestation (n = 8, mean = 266 days). Term placentae were incubated at two temperatures, 4 degrees C (control) and 37 degrees C for 2 h. Pre-term placentae were incubated at 37 degrees C with two different concentrations of fatty acid in the medium. Tissues and media were analysed for their lipid concentrations. Term and pre-term placentae released free fatty acid (FFA) and phospholipid into the incubation medium during...
Brennan KM, Graugnard DE, Spry ML, Brewster-Barnes T, Smith AC, Schaeffer RE, Urschel KL.To determine effects of a microalgae nutritional product on insulin sensitivity in horses. Methods: 8 healthy mature horses. PROCEDURES :Horses (n = 4/group) received a basal diet without (control diet) or with docosahexaenoic acid-rich microalgae meal (150 g/d) for 49 days (day 0 = first day of diet). On day 28, an isoglycemic hyperinsulinemic clamp procedure was performed. Horses then received dexamethasone (0.04 mg/kg/d) for 21 days. On day 49, the clamp procedure was repeated. After a 60-day washout, horses received the alternate diet, and procedures were repeated. Plasma fatty acid, gluco...
