Topic:Fatty Acids
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.
Analysis of major proteins and fat fractions associated with mare’s milk fat globules. Although several studies have aimed to identify mare's milk proteins, only the major whey proteins and some caseins have yet been characterized. Incomplete sequencing of the equine genome and the difficulty of recovering highly hydrophobic proteins mean that little is known to date about the proteins associated with milk fat globules, which have been shown to play an important role in newborns' defense mechanisms. The fat fraction, in particular the distribution of unsaturated fatty acids, has been more extensively studied, but complex lipids are only partially elucidated. This study reports a...
Fat content and fatty acids profile of colostrum and milk of primitive Konik horses ( Equus caballus gmelini Ant.) during six months of lactation. The effect of the stage of lactation, the number of foals and age of the mare on changes in the fat content and fatty acid composition of colostrum and milk of primitive Konik horses was investigated. Colostrum and milk samples from 12 lactating mares were collected at the beginning of lactation, on the days 1 and 2 after foaling and then, starting from the first month of lactation, at 4-week intervals up to the sixth month of lactation. Significant differences were observed in fat content as well as the composition of some analysed fatty acids between colostrum and milk of mares of the Konik ...
Spelt, an ancient cereal and first pressure linseed oil as ingredients of compound feedstuffs for modern horse feeding. Spelt is a covered cereal with large glumellas. In experiment 1, it has been compared in terms of chemical composition with barley, oat and maize. Spelt is characterized by rather low protein and ether extract (EE) contents. The neutral detergent fibre (NDF) content of spelt was slightly higher than that of oat but the acid detergent fibre (ADF) content was lower. Two compound feedstuffs were fed along with hay to six horses used in a cross-over design. Both diets were well appreciated by the horses and there were no significant differences in the apparent digestibility coefficients, except fo...
Recent advances in cooled-semen technology. The majority of horse registries approve the use of artificial insemination, and horse breeding has widely taken benefit from the use of cooled-stored semen. New insights into cooled-semen technology open possibilities to reduce problems such as impaired semen quality after cooled-storage in individual stallions. The stallion itself has major impacts on quality and fertility of cooled-stored semen. Dietary supplementation of antioxidants and polyunsaturated fatty acids improves semen quality in a variety of species, but only few studies on this topic exist in the horse. Proper semen collection...
Physicochemical properties of meat of Italian Heavy Draft horses slaughtered at the age of eleven months. To investigate rheological and chemical characteristics of the meat from Italian Heavy Draft horse, 24 foals (12 males and 12 females) were weaned at 6 mo, reared and fed in the same way, and slaughtered at 11 mo of age. The results obtained showed that there were no significant differences between the sexes but that the muscle type is a significant variation source. The rectus femoris muscle was lighter, and the biceps femoris had a lower a* index than longissimus dorsii, rectus femoris, and semimembranosus muscle. The most tender muscle was the semitendinosus, and the toughest even after coo...
Circulating fatty acid profiles in response to three levels of dietary omega-3 fatty acid supplementation in horses. Fatty acids of the n-3 type confer health benefits to humans and other species. Their importance to equine physiology could include improved exercise tolerance, decreased inflammation, and improved reproductive function. The circulating fatty acid profile and the acquisition and washout of fatty acids in response to n-3 supplementation were determined for horses in the current study. A fatty acid supplement high in eicosapentaenoic (EPA) and docosahexaenoic (DHA) acid was fed to deliver EPA plus DHA at 0 (control), 10, 20, or 40 g/d to 16 mares (n = 4/group) for 28 d. Plasma was collected at -...
Influence of fatty acid composition in mammalian erythrocytes on cellular aggregation. The rheologic properties of red blood cells (RBC) are determined by humoral and cellular factors. Fatty acid composition of the RBC phospholipid bilayer is one factor influencing membrane fluidity this could affect RBC aggregation because of a higher bias of RBC deformability. The present investigation was performed to investigate a possible relationship between fatty acid composition and erythrocyte aggregation using animals with high RBC aggregation (horse and pig) and animals with immeasurable RBC aggregation (sheep). Horse and pig showed similar distribution of the four major components pa...
Dietary fish oil supplementation affects serum fatty acid concentrations in horses. Thirteen horses of Thoroughbred or Standardbred breeding were used to study the effect of dietary fish oil supplementation on blood lipid characteristics. Horses were assigned to either fish oil (n = 7) or corn oil (n = 6) treatment groups for 63 d. The fish oil contained 10.8% eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and 8% docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). Each horse received timothy hay and a mixed-grain concentrate at rates necessary to maintain BW. Oil (corn or fish) was top-dressed on the concentrate daily at a rate of 324 mg/ kg of BW. The n-6:n-3 ratio was approximately 3.6:1 for horses receiving the cor...
Metabolic and clinical traits in horses undergoing feed deprivation for elective orthopaedic surgery. The objective of this study was to investigate some metabolic and clinical effects of feed deprivation in horses that were submitted for orthopaedic surgery. The effects of preoperative feed restriction were investigated in 20 horses submitted for elective orthopaedic surgery. The patients were fasted from 12 hours before until 4 hours after surgery. Serum free amino acids, glucose,free fatty acids (FFA), white blood cell counts, creatine kinase (CK) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) were determined 24 hours before surgery, 2 hours after the end of anaesthesia and 24 and 72 hours after surg...
The effects of dietary N-3 and antioxidant supplementation on erythrocyte membrane fatty acid composition and fluidity in exercising horses. Fatty acid supplementation could modulate erythrocyte membrane fluidity in horses at rest and during exercise, but information is lacking on the effect of exercise. Objective: To assess the effect of exercise with, and without, an oral antioxidant supplementation enriched with n-3 fatty acids on erythrocyte membrane fluidity (EMF) and fatty acid composition in eventing horses. Methods: Twelve healthy and regularly trained horses were divided randomly into 2 groups: group S received an oral antioxidant cocktail enriched in n-3 fatty acid (alphatocopherol, eicosapentaenoic acid [EPA] and docosah...
Comparison of plasma biochemical parameters in Thoroughbred and Purebred Arabian horses during the same-intensity exercise. The objective of the present study was to compare changes of blood parameters induced by the same work and performed in the same conditions in two racehorse breeds, Thoroughbred and Purebred Arabian. The effect of moderate-intensity exercise was studied in 20 stallions--ten Thoroughbreds, aged 2-3 years and the same number of Purebred Arabians, 3-4 years old. All the horses were administrated the same effort test consisting in 1200 m gallop at a speed typical of the daily training sessions. Three jugular venous blood samples were collected for each horse: at rest, just after the end of the gal...
Effects of feeding sunflower oil or seal blubber oil to horses with recurrent airway obstruction. A crossover feeding trial was performed with 9 horses suffering from recurrent airway obstruction (RAO). The study aimed to determine whether ingestion of sunflower oil (SFO), rich in linoleic acid, or seal blubber oil (SBO), a source of long-chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC n-3 PUFAs), changes the fatty acid (FA) ratios in plasma and leukocyte membrane phospholipids (PLs) or the leukocyte numbers or proportions of cell types in the airways. We also investigated diet-related changes in respiratory rate, maximum change in pleural pressure (deltaPpl(max)), dynamic compliance (C(dyn)...
In vitro effects of oxygen on physico-chemical properties of horse erythrocyte membrane. Whether direct exposure to different concentrations (0%, 13%, 100%) of oxygen may affect horse erythrocyte membrane fluidity (EMF) and fatty acid (FA) composition was studied during 1 (T60) and 2h (T120) exposure. EMF was investigated at the head group level and hydrophobic core thanks to phosphorus nucleus 31 ((31)P) nuclear magnetic resonance ((31)P NMR) and electronic paramagnetic resonance (EPR) using two spin probes: 5-nitroxydestearic acid and 16-doxylstearic acid. Lipid structure of the membranes was studied by gas liquid chromatography. 4-Hydroxy-2E-nonenal was also analyzed as a marke...
Effects of exercise and oral antioxidant supplementation enriched in (n-3) fatty acids on blood oxidant markers and erythrocyte membrane fluidity in horses. The aim of this study was to investigate in a placebo-controlled field study the effect of a (n-3)-vitamin supplementation on erythrocyte membrane fluidity (EMF), oxidant/antioxidant markers and plasmatic omega3/omega6 fatty acid ratio (FAR) in 12 eventing horses. Venous blood was sampled at rest before (PRE) and after (POST) a three week treatment period with either the supplement (group S, n=6) or a placebo (group P, n=6) as well as after 15min (POST E15') and 24h (POST E24h) after a standardised exercise test. The following markers were analysed: EMF, plasma antioxidant capacity of water an...
In vitro effects of hydrochloric acid and various concentrations of acetic, propionic, butyric, or valeric acids on bioelectric properties of equine gastric squamous mucosa. To compare the effects of hydrochloric acid (HCl) and various concentrations of volatile fatty acids (VFAs) on tissue bioelectric properties of equine stomach nonglandular (NG) mucosa. Methods: Gastric tissues obtained from 48 adult horses. Methods: NG gastric mucosa was studied by use of Ussing chambers. Short-circuit current (Isc) and potential difference (PD) were measured and electrical resistance (R) and conductance calculated for tissues after addition of HCl and VFAs (5, 10, 20, and 40 mM) in normal Ringer's solution (NRS). Results: Mucosa exposed to HCl in NRS (pH of 1.5 and, to a less...
Fatty acid transport in articular cartilage. Articular cartilage extracellular matrix imposes a significant transport barrier to albumin, the principal carrier of fatty acids. It has not been previously established whether it also influences the transport of fatty acids important for chondrocyte metabolism. Albumin was labelled with rhodamine-maleimide and bound to NBD-labelled lauric acid. Plugs of fresh equine metacarpal-phalangeal cartilage and subchondral bone were incubated with the complex at 4 degrees C for 2-160 h. The fluorophore distribution was quantified using quantitative microscopy in histological sections. The fluorescence...
[Fat and content of yakutan horse fat tissue]. 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.
Effects of the omega-3 fatty acid, alpha-linolenic acid, on lipopolysaccharide-challenged synovial explants from horses. To determine the effects of pretreatment with alpha-linolenic acid, an omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid, on equine synovial explants challenged with lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Methods: 8 mature mixed-breed horses (4 mares and 4 geldings). Methods: Synovial explants were assigned to receive 1 of 7 concentrations of alpha-linolenic acid, ranging from 0 to 300 microg/mL. At each concentration, half of the explants were controls and half were challenged with 0.003 microg of LPS as a model of synovial inflammation. Cell inflammatory response was evaluated by measurement of prostaglandin E2 product...
Factors affecting the plasma membrane function of cooled-stored stallion spermatozoa. The spermatozoon is a highly specified cell that has the abilities of active motility and fertilization of the ovum. Damage to the sperm plasma membrane results in the irreversible loss of its functions. Because of the high content of unsaturated fatty acids in the plasma membrane, mammalian sperm are sensitive to oxidative stress. While mild peroxidation appears to promote capacitation of the sperm cell, excessive peroxidation will damage the plasma membrane and results in loss of motility and fertility. The functional integrity of the sperm plasma membrane can be determined by functional tes...
Fructooligosaccharide supplementation in the yearling horse: effects on fecal pH, microbial content, and volatile fatty acid concentrations. Short-chain fructooligosaccharides (FOS) were supplemented to the diets of nine quarter horses ranging in age from 489 to 539 d with initial BW averaging 400.6 +/- 21.2 kg. The objectives of this study were to determine the effects of dietary FOS on the fecal responses in terms of pH, the microbial population, and VFA concentrations. The horses were used in a 3 x 3 replicated Latin square design, fed according to NRC requirements, and their individual diets were supplemented with no FOS (CON), 8 g of FOS/d (LOW), or 24 g of FOS/d (HIGH) over three 10-d feeding periods. On the last 3 d of each ...
Meal-induced gastric relaxation and emptying in horses after ingestion of high-fat versus high-carbohydrate diets. To evaluate the effect of ingestion of a high-carbohydrate versus a high-fat meal on relaxation of the proximal portion of the stomach and subsequent gastric emptying in horses. Methods: 6 healthy adult horses. Methods: The study consisted of 2 phases. In phase I, horses were offered a high-fat (8% fat) or a high-carbohydrate (3% fat) pelleted meal (0.5 g/kg) of identical volume, caloric density, and protein content. In phase II, meals consisted of a commercial sweet feed meal (0.5 g/kg) or this meal supplemented with corn oil (12.3% fat) or an isocaloric amount of glucose (2.9% fat). Proximal...
Metabolic responses to oral tryptophan supplementation before exercise in horses. This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of oral tryptophan (Trp) supplementation on exercise capacity and metabolic responses in horses. Three horses had to perform an exercise test: a 15-min warm-up followed by a 60-min walk (1.7 m/s, W1), a 10-min trot (3.1 m/s, T1), a second 60-min walk (1.7 m/s, W2), a second 10-min trot (3.1 m/s, T2) and a final 30-min walk (1.7 m/s, W3) until the horses were unwilling to continue. The horses exercised on a treadmill at a 6% incline and with a constant draught load of 40 kg (0.44 kN). Two hours before exercise horses were given 50 g Trp (9.8-10.7...
Effect of type of dietary polyunsaturated fatty acid supplement (corn oil or fish oil) on immune responses in healthy horses. The objective of this study was to compare effects of dietary polyunsaturated fatty acid supplementation (corn oil or fish oil) on selected immune responses in normal horses. Two groups of horses (n = 5) were randomly assigned a dietary supplement with either 3.0% corn oil or fish oil for a period of 14 weeks. Plasma fatty acid profiles were monitored to ensure uptake of dietary fatty acids. Cell-mediated immunity was assessed by a delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) skin test to keyhole limpet hemocyanin (KLH), and humoral immunity was assessed by measuring antibody titers to KLH. Production ...
The effect of varying dietary starch and fat content on serum creatine kinase activity and substrate availability in equine polysaccharide storage myopathy. The effect of dietary starch and fat content on serum creatine kinase (CK) activity and substrate availability was evaluated in 4 mares of Quarter Horse-related breeds with polysaccharide storage myopathy (PSSM). Four isocaloric diets ranging in digestible energy (DE) from 21.2% (diet A), 14.8% (B), 8.4% (C), to 3.9% (D) for starch, and 7.2% DE (diet A), 9.9% (B), to 12.7% DE (diet C and D) for fat were fed for 6-week periods (4 weeks with exercise) using a 4 X 4 Latin square design. Postprandial glucose and insulin responses were measured, and 4 hours postexercise, serum CK activity, glucose,...
Dietary (n-3) fatty acids from menhaden fish oil alter plasma fatty acids and leukotriene B synthesis in healthy horses. The study objective was to determine the effect of feeding corn oil or fish oil to horses on plasma fatty acid profiles and leukotriene B (LTB) synthesis by stimulated peripheral blood neutrophils. Two groups of horses (n = 5) were randomly assigned to diets supplemented with either 3.0% (by weight) corn oil or fish oil for a period of 14 weeks. The ratio of (n-6) to (n-3) fatty acids in oil supplements was 68.1:1 for corn oil and 0.12:1 for fish oil. Production of LTB4 and LTB, by peripheral blood neutrophils stimulated with calcium ionophore A23187 and plasma cholesterol, triacylglycerol, an...
Rat, caprine, equine and bovine erythrocyte ghosts exposed to t-butyl hydroperoxide as a model to study lipid peroxidation using a chemiluminescence assay. The aim of the present study was to analyze the time-course of t-butyl hydroperoxide-induced changes in lipid peroxidation, fatty acid composition and chemiluminescence intensity in rat, caprine, equine and bovine erythrocyte ghosts. A relatively high content of arachidonic acid (C20:4 n6) and docosahexaenoic acid (C22:6 n3) was characteristic of the rat erythrocyte ghosts. The fatty acid composition of native erythrocyte ghosts obtained from caprine, equine and bovine was characterized by a high content of oleic acid (C18:1 n9) and a low content of the peroxidable polyunsaturated fatty acids ...
Rapid analysis of fatty acid-binding proteins with immunosensors and immunotests for early monitoring of tissue injury. Fatty acid-binding protein (FABP) holds promise for early detection of tissue injury. This small protein (15kD) appears earlier in the blood than large proteins after cell damage. Combined its characteristics of high concentration tissue contents and low normal plasma values provide the possibility of a rapid rise above the respective reference values, and thus an early indication of the appearance of tissue injury. A general review was presented on the current status of different types of FABP for the detection of tissue injury in patients with myocardial injury, brain injury and also in athl...
The effect of dietary fish oil supplementation on exercising horses. Ten horses of Thoroughbred or Standardbred breeding were used to study the effects of dietary fish oil supplementation on the metabolic response to a high-intensity incremental exercise test. Horses were assigned to either a fish oil (n = 6) or corn oil (n = 4) treatment. The fish oil (Omega Protein, Hammond, LA) contained 10.6% eicosapentaenoic acid and 8% docosahexaenoic acid. Each horse received timothy hay and a textured concentrate at a rate necessary to meet its energy needs. The supplemental oil was top-dressed on the concentrate daily at a rate of 324 mg/kg BW. Horses received their as...
Investigation of the expression and localization of glucose transporter 4 and fatty acid translocase/CD36 in equine skeletal muscle. To investigate the expression and localization of glucose transporter 4 (GLUT4) and fatty acid translocase (FAT/CD36) in equine skeletal muscle. Methods: Muscle biopsy specimens obtained from 5 healthy Dutch Warmblood horses. Methods: Percutaneous biopsy specimens were obtained from the vastus lateralis, pectoralis descendens, and triceps brachii muscles. Cryosections were stained with combinations of GLUT4 and myosin heavy chain (MHC) specific antibodies or FAT/CD36 and MHC antibodies to assess the fiber specific expression of GLUT4 and FAT/CD36 in equine skeletal muscle via indirect immunofl...