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A survey on two years of medication regulation in horse races in Iran.
Abstract: The present survey evaluated the use of prohibited substances cases in the first 2 years of medication regulation in horseracing in Iran so that the impact of these regulations on the level of positive cases over the period could be assessed. Objective: To determine the prevalence of positive tests for prohibited substances in horse races during 2 years of a drugs testing programme in Iran. Methods: A total of 656 horses that were winners or second in races were tested during the 2 year study. In the first year 354 horses (209 males and 145 females) and in the second year 302 horses (155 males and 147 females) were tested. In the 2 years, 306 were found to be positive. Urine samples were taken from candidate horses and sent to the Central Doping Laboratory. Blood samples were taken from those horses where a urine sample could not be taken within one hour. Detection and measurement of prohibited substances were carried out by ELISA, GC and HPLC using standard methods. Results: Thirty-two percent of males were positive for prohibited substances, which was not significantly different from the percentage of females (25.5%). In the second year, of the 302 horses tested for prohibited substances, 33.5% of males were positive, again similar to females (33.3%). Almost 83% of horses tested positive for prohibited substances once in the first year, 15% tested positive twice and 2% tested positive 3 times. In the second year 78% tested positive once, 15% tested positive twice and 7% tested positive 3 times. Morphine was the most used prohibited substance and was detected 42 times during the survey, followed by caffeine and phenylbutazone. Morphine was also the most used drug in combination with other drugs in both years. Conclusions: Morphine and caffeine were the most popular prohibited substances found in the measurements. As these substances were found in the environment and food stuffs, their presence in the samples may be due to unintentional feeding of contaminated materials (bread, hay and chocolate).
Publication Date: 2010-02-17 PubMed ID: 20156253DOI: 10.2746/042516409X471449Google Scholar: Lookup The Equine Research Bank provides access to a large database of publicly available scientific literature. Inclusion in the Research Bank does not imply endorsement of study methods or findings by Mad Barn.
- Journal Article
Summary
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This research examined the presence of banned substances in horse racing in Iran over a two-year period following the implementation of regulatory policies. It revealed that over 32% of male and around 25-33% of female horses tested positive, with the most prevalent substances being morphine and caffeine, potentially sourced from unintended feeding of contaminated foodstuffs.
Research Objective
- The aim of the study was to assess the prevalence of prohibited substances in horse races in Iran across two years of a drug testing program, following the introduction of medication regulations in the sport.
Methods
- The study tested 656 horses that secured either first or second place in races over the duration of two years.
- The first year involved testing of 354 horses (209 males, 145 females), while the second year tested 302 horses (155 males, 147 females).
- A total of 306 horses were found to test positive for prohibited substances across the two years.
- Urine samples were collected from horses and sent to the Central Doping Laboratory for testing. Blood samples were taken only when it was not possible to collect urine within an hour.
- The detection and measurement of banned substances were conducted using Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA), Gas Chromatography (GC), and High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC).
Results
- Results showed no significant difference between sexes in terms of positive tests – 32% of male and 25.5% to 33.3% of female horses tested positive for prohibited substances.
- In the first year, most horses (83%) tested positive once, while 15% and 2% tested positive twice and thrice, respectively. The second year saw 78% testing positive once, and 15% and 7% testing positive twice and thrice, respectively.
- Morphine was the most prevalent prohibited substance, detected 42 times over the course of the survey. Caffeine and phenylbutazone followed in prevalence.
- Morphine was also observed as the most commonly used drug in combination with other substances across both years.
Conclusions
- The study concluded that morphine and caffeine were the most commonly detected banned substances in the tested horses.
- The presence of these substances may be attributed to unintentional consumption through contaminated foodstuff like bread, hay, and chocolate, which are a part of the horses’ environment and feeding habits.
Cite This Article
APA
Lotfollahzadeh S, Mokhber-Dezfouli MR, Tajik P, Bokaie S, Watson DG.
(2010).
A survey on two years of medication regulation in horse races in Iran.
Equine Vet J, 42(2), 161-163.
https://doi.org/10.2746/042516409X471449 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Department of Epidemiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Doping in Sports
- Female
- Horses
- Legislation, Drug
- Male
- Pharmaceutical Preparations / urine
- Physical Conditioning, Animal
- Time Factors
Citations
This article has been cited 2 times.- Hassan MA, Raoofi A, Lotfollahzadeh S, Javanbakht J. Clinical and cytological characteristics and prognostic implications on sheep and goat Theileria infection in north of Iran. J Parasit Dis 2015 Jun;39(2):190-3.
- Roccaro M, Rinnovati R, Stucchi L, La Rocca F, Cascio G, Peli A. Survey on 9 years of anti-doping controls in horse races in Italy. Equine Vet J 2025 Nov;57(6):1592-1599.
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