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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.
The plasma level of triacylglycerols in horses fed high-fat diets containing either soybean oil or palm oil. The influence of dietary soybean oil versus palm oil on the plasma level of triacylglycerols was determined in a crossover experiment with four horses. Based on published data for humans and laboratory animals it was expected that a diet rich in unsaturated fatty acids in the form of soybean oil compared to saturated fatty acids in the form of palm oil would lower the plasma triacylglycerol level. The feeding of soybean oil versus palm oil for a period of four weeks did not change the level of plasma triacylglycerols in horses. Mean levels of triacylglycerol, free fatty acids and 3-hydroxybuty...
Effect of dietary medium chain triacylglycerols on plasma triacylglycerol levels in horses. The hypothesis tested was that the feeding of medium chain triacylglycerols (MCT) to horses would raise the level of plasma triacylglycerols by increasing the availability of glucose as lipogenic substrate, implying that the MCT effect would be greater with glucose in the diet instead of cellulose. A Latin square experiment was carried out with 4 horses and 4 dietary treatments. The experimental periods lasted 21 d. Blood samples were taken 16 h after feeding. The diets consisted of hay and experimental concentrates, differing in fat source (MCT or soybean oil) and carbohydrate source (corn st...
Insulin responsiveness of sheep, ponies, miniature pigs and camels: results of hyperinsulinemic clamps using porcine insulin. It had been suggested that marked species differences in glucose tolerance tests were due to differences in insulin resistance. To compare insulin responsiveness, euglycemic hyperinsulinemic clamps were carried out in sheep, ponies, miniature pigs and camels. Porcine insulin was infused as primed-continuous infusions for 2 h (6 mU x kg(-1) x min(-1)). The steady state glucose infusion rates in the pigs, sheep, ponies and camels were 96.0, 18.6, 7.1 and 6.1 micromol x kg(-1) x min(-1), respectively. The maximal plasma insulin concentrations during the insulin infusions were 2,700 microU x ml(-1...
Fat feeding increases equine heparin-released lipoprotein lipase activity. The aim of this study was to establish the dose-response relationship between fat intake and heparin-released plasma lipoprotein lipase (LPL) activity in horses. Eight mature trotters were fed 4 rations with different fat levels (3.0, 5.0, 7.7, or 10.8% fat in the dry matter) according to a 4 X 4 Latin square design. The experimental rations consisted of hay and different concentrates; the concentrates and hay were given in a 3:1 ratio on an energy basis. Soybean oil was added to the concentrates at the expense of isoenergetic amounts of glucose. Blood samples were taken at the end of each die...
High density lipoprotein cholesteryl ester metabolism in the pony, an animal species without plasma cholesteryl ester transfer protein activity: transfer of high density lipoprotein cholesteryl esters to lower density lipoproteins and the effect of the amount of fat in the diet. 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) ...
Effects of fat feeding and energy level on plasma metabolites and hormones in Shetland ponies. The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of a fat-supplemented diet compared with a carbohydrate diet on the lipid metabolism and the enteroinsular axis of Shetland ponies. The 'crossover' experiment was divided into two parts: in the first 10 weeks the diets comprised the correct number of calories according to requirements and in the following 10 weeks they were hypercaloric, in order to check the effect of a different energy content of the diets. Feeding the fat-enriched diet, independently of its energy content, led to a significant decrease in plasma triglycerides, associate...
High fat intake lowers hepatic fatty acid synthesis and raises fatty acid oxidation in aerobic muscle in Shetland ponies. 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...
[Supplemental fat in the diet of horses…is it advantageous?]. Feeding fat-supplemented diets to horses has drawn considerable interest. One of the advantages of such diets is that the energy density is increased, so that less feed is needed to meet energy requirements. In addition, adding fat to the diet enhances the contribution of fat oxidation to energy production, thus sparing muscle glycogen. The 'spared' glycogen is available for energy metabolism when the acutely exercising horse reaches a point of oxygen deficit and must rely on anaerobic metabolism. This appears to be beneficial for both aerobic and anaerobic performance. Fats are readily digest...
Uterocalin, a lipocalin provisioning the preattachment equine conceptus: fatty acid and retinol binding properties, and structural characterization. The equine conceptus is surrounded by a fibrous capsule that persists until about day 20 of pregnancy, whereupon the capsule is lost, the conceptus attaches to the endometrium and placentation proceeds. Before attachment, the endometrium secretes in abundance a protein of the lipocalin family, uterocalin. The cessation of secretion coincides with the end of the period during which the conceptus is enclosed in its capsule, suggesting that uterocalin is essential for the support of the embryo before direct contact between maternal and foetal tissues is established. Using recombinant protein and ...
Lipid fatty acid and protein pattern of equine prostasome-like vesicles. The semen of several mammals contains vesicles of different composition and origin. We have recently reported on the presence of lipoprotein vesicles in stallion semen. To a certain extent, these resemble human prostasomes, but differ from them in amount and composition. These horse-semen prostasome-like vesicles may be important, not only in horse reproductive physiology, but also in view of stallion semen cryopreservation. In this paper, we have studied horse-semen prostasome-like vesicles and found that they possess less saturated fatty acid than human prostasomes. Moreover, their protein p...
Dietary fat supplementation effects on in vitro nutrient disappearance and in vivo nutrient intake and total tract digestibility by horses. Addition of fat to the diet of the equine is a popular method of increasing energy density of the diet while reducing feed intake. Reducing feed intake is of interest to race horse trainers because additional feed is seen as additional weight and, therefore, a hindrance to performance. Limited information is available regarding the interactions of fat with other dietary components, particularly fiber, in the equine digestive system. The effect of dietary fat on in vitro nutrient disappearance in equine cecal fluid was studied in Exp. 1 using a split-plot design within a 2 x 2 Latin square. Two...
The interaction of ferrocytochrome c with long-chain fatty acids and their CoA and carnitine esters. Non-covalent modification of cytochrome c may have implications for electron transport and energy metabolism. We examined the interaction of various fatty acids (FAs), their coenzyme A and carnitine esters, and fatty alcohols with horse heart ferrocytochrome c. A comparison of FAs indicated a minimum chain length of 14 carbons was required for significant effect on the ferroheme chromophore and major changes in electronic spectra. Coenzyme A and carnitine esters interacted less strongly than FAs whereas long-chain alcohols did not interact with the protein. We found a single, saturable FA bind...
Effects of a single day of feed restriction on changes in serum leptin, gonadotropins, prolactin, and metabolites in aged and young mares. In a variety of species, short-term feed restriction leads to rapid changes in the reproductive axis and reduces serum levels of leptin. Two experiments were performed to test the hypothesis that a single day of feed restriction in aged and young mares would cause a suppression of the gonadotropins and serum leptin concentrations. The estrous cycles of 12 aged (>eight years; Exp. 1) and eight young (<five years; Exp. 2) mares were synchronized and the mares were conditioned to twice-daily meal feeding. On the seventh day after synchronization, restricted mares (n = 6 for Exp. 1; n = 4 fo...
Effect of intravenous infusion of omega-3 and omega-6 lipid emulsions on equine monocyte fatty acid composition and inflammatory mediator production in vitro. The effect of intravenous administration of lipid emulsions enriched with omega-3 (n3) and omega-6 (n6) fatty acids on equine monocyte phospholipid fatty acid composition and the synthesis of inflammatory mediators in vitro was evaluated. In a randomized crossover design, horses were infused intravenously with 20% lipid emulsions containing n3 or n6 fatty acids. Monocytes were isolated from the horses before and 0 h, 8 h, 24 h, and 7 days after lipid infusion. Monocyte fatty acid analysis demonstrated incorporation of the parenteral n3 and n6 fatty acids in monocyte phospholipids immediately a...
Evaluation of diet as a cause of gastric ulcers in horses. To measure pH, volatile fatty acid (VFA) concentrations, and lactate concentrations in stomach contents and determine number and severity of gastric lesions in horses fed bromegrass hay and alfalfa hay-grain diets. Methods: Six 7-year-old horses. Methods: A gastric cannula was inserted in each horse. Horses were fed each diet, using a randomized crossover design. Stomach contents were collected immediately after feeding and 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 12, and 24 hours after feeding on day 14. The pH and VFA and lactate concentrations were measured in gastric juice Number and severity of gastri...
Lipid metabolism in equines fed a fat-rich diet. The hypothesis tested was that dietary fat, when compared with an isoenergetic amount of non-structural carbohydrates, stimulates lipolysis in adipose tissue and also stimulates the fatty-acid oxidative capacity in skeletal muscle from horses. Six adult horses were fed a high-fat, glucose or starch containing diet according to a 3 x 3 Latin square design with feeding periods of three weeks. The diets were formulated so that the intake of soybean oil versus either glucose or corn starch were the only variables. In accordance with previous work, whole plasma triacylglycerol (TAG) concentration d...
Six intestinal microflora-associated characteristics in sport horses. The aim of this study was to investigate 6 microflora-associated characteristics (MACs) in faecal samples from horses and to compare the results with baselines previously established in other mammals. A MAC is defined as any anatomical structure, physiological, biochemical or immunological characteristic in a host, which has been acted on by microorganisms. When the active microbes are absent, as in germ-free animals and healthy newborn organisms, the corresponding characteristic is defined as germ-free animal characteristic (GAC). The MACs studied were degradation of mucin, conversion of chol...
Dietary fat supplementation and equine plasma lipid metabolism. Feeding of a fat-rich diet to horses may enhance the flux of fatty acids, in the form of triacylglycerols (TAG), through the circulation into skeletal muscle. This hypothesis was tested indirectly by measuring the concentration of plasma TAG and the activity of lipoprotein lipase (LPL) in post heparin plasma. Six mature horses were fed a high-fat or a control diet according to a crossover design with feeding periods of 6 weeks. The control diet contained 1.5% fat in the dry matter and the high-fat diet 11.8%. The high-fat diet was formulated by adding soybean oil to the control diet at the exp...
Dietary carbohydrates and fat influence radiographic bone mineral content of growing foals. Hydrolyzable carbohydrate intake in horse diets may become excessive when rapidly growing pastures are supplemented with grain-based concentrates. The substitution of fat and fiber for hydrolyzable carbohydrate in concentrates has been explored in exercising horses but not in young, growing horses. Our objective was to compare bone development in foals that were fed pasture and concentrates rich in sugar and starch (corn, molasses) or fat and fiber (corn oil, beet pulp, soybean hulls, oat straw). Forty foals were examined, 20 each in 1994 and 1995. In each year, 10 mares and their foals were f...
Effects of recombinant equine somatotropin on wound healing, carbohydrate and lipid metabolism, and endogenous somatotropin responses to secretagogues in geldings. The primary purpose of this experiment was to assess the possible beneficial effects of recombinant equine somatotropin (reST) administration on wound healing in adult geldings. The effects of the 21-d reST treatment on carbohydrate and lipid metabolism and on endogenous ST characteristics were monitored as well. Single, full-thickness skin incisions (7.62 x 7.62 cm) were made in the pectoral region of all geldings on d 0. Treated geldings received reST at 20 microg/kg BW i.m., and control geldings received vehicle (10 mM sodium borate) at equivalent volumes daily from d 0 (immediately after s...
[The effect of the essential fatty acids in mare’s milk on the function of the immune system and of nonspecific resistance in rats]. The influence of essential fatty acids of mare's milk fat on the immunocompetent system and nonspecific resistance of male rats weighing 135-145 g was investigated after 6 weeks of feeding. Rats were fed with isocaloric purified diets containing 15% of test fat (in control--combination of lard and sunflower oil) which provide the ratio of omega-6/omega-3 fatty acids equal to 0.76. An increase of immune responsiveness and nonspecific resistance in the group fed with the diet with mare's milk fat on day 6 after a single immunization of the animals with 5% sheep erythrocyte suspension was noted.
Treatment of Culicoides hypersensitive horses with high-dose n-3 fatty acids: a double-blinded crossover study. In this double-blinded crossover study the clinical efficacy of high dose α-linolenic acid (linseed oil) for the treatment of Culicoides spp. hypersensitivity was evaluated. Seventeen privately owned horses from north Florida, USA completed the 18-week study. Criteria for inclusion included negative dermatophyte cultures, negative skin scrapes, failure to respond to ivermectin treatment, compatible clinical signs, positive skin test to Culicoides spp.antigen and a history of seasonal pruritus consistent with Culicoides spp. hypersensitivity. Horses were randomized and each horse's feed was su...
Isolation and characterization of a novel Forssman active acidic glycosphingolipid with branched isoglobo-, ganglio-, and neolacto-series hybrid sugar chains. Equine kidney and spleen contain a Forssman active glycosphingolipid, and the structure of this glycolipid has been reported to be that of a globopentaosylceramide (GalNAcalpha-1,3GalNAcbeta-1,3Galalpha-1, 4Galbeta-1,4Glcbeta-1,1'Ceramide). We found that equine kidney contains several other anti-Forssman antibody-reactive glycosphingolipids. One of these acidic Forssman active glycosphingolipids was isolated and characterized by means of NMR, mass spectrometry, permethylation studies, and TLC-immunostaining. This glycolipid contains three moles of galactose, one mole of glucose, three moles of...
Effect of a supplementary dietary evening primrose oil mixture on hoof growth, hoof growth rate and hoof lipid fractions in horses: a controlled and blinded trial. 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...
Studies on equine lipid metabolism. 1. A fluorometric method for the measurement of lipolytic activity in isolated adipocytes of rats and horses. 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...
Phenytoin alters transcript levels of hormone-sensitive lipase in muscle from horses with hyperkalemic periodic paralysis. In equine hyperkalemic periodic paralysis (HyperPP), there is evidence suggesting that the primary defect in the sodium channel is associated with a secondary alteration in triacylglycerol-associated fatty acid metabolism (TAFAM) in skeletal muscle. Furthermore, TAFAM may be involved in the therapeutic action of phenytoin. The effects of phenytoin treatment on the transcript levels of three key proteins in TAFAM, hormone sensitive lipase (HSL), carnitine palmitoyltransferase (CPT), and fatty acid binding protein (FABP), were examined. These transcripts were quantitated by competitive reverse t...
Evidence that commercial calf and horse sera can contain substantial amounts of trans-10,cis-12 conjugated linoleic acid. We analyzed fetal calf, newborn calf, horse, and adult cow sera for conjugated linoleic acid (CLA). All sera samples contained CLA, but the amounts varied. The predominant isomer was cis-9,trans-11 CLA but some samples appeared to contain substantial amounts of an isomer with the retention time of trans-10,cis-12 CLA.
Characterization of a O-fatty-acylated sulfatide from equine brain. 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...
Effects of surgery on endocrine and metabolic responses to anaesthesia in horses and ponies. The effects of surgery on endocrine and metabolic responses to anaesthesia were investigated in seven horses and eight ponies. They were anaesthetised twice and surgery was carried out on one occasion. Cardiorespiratory monitoring was performed and blood samples were taken for assay of cortisol, glucose, lactate, insulin, catecholamines and non-esterified fatty acids. All groups developed arterial hypotension which was more marked in the surgical groups where post operative pulse rate was also higher. Plasma cortisol concentration increased in all groups during anaesthesia but remained higher ...
