Alpha tocopherol concentrations in clinically normal adult horses.
Abstract: Evaluation of the vitamin E status of horses is difficult because
plasma or serum alpha tocopherol (aT) concentrations are often
low, <5 Wml, a level which is considered to be deficient in man
(Traber et al. 1987). Calculation of serum aT per lipids, as has
been used for human values, does not reduce the variability of
plasma aT measurements in horses (Craig et al. 1989), perhaps
because the range of lipids is small.
The vitamin E status of people at risk for vitamin E
deficiency has been assessed by assaying aT concentrations in
adipose tissue (Kayden et al. 1983). As in other species, adipose
tissue in horses contains large quantities of aT (Roneus et al.
1986), and is not prone to the short term fluctuations seen in
blood (Craig et al. 1989). The present studies, therefore,
evaluated aT concentrations in plasma and adipose tissue
biopsies from clinically normal adult horses.
Publication Date: 1994-09-01 PubMed ID: 7988545DOI: 10.1111/j.2042-3306.1994.tb04412.xGoogle 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
This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.
The research article explores the concentration of alpha tocopherol (a natural form of vitamin E) within the blood and fat tissues of healthy adult horses. The aim is to establish a better understanding of the vitamin E status since existing measures often display low concentrations, posing a challenge in evaluating health conditions related to vitamin E deficiency in horses.
Background and Objective
- The study was conducted due to the difficulty in evaluating the vitamin E status in horses. This is due to their plasma or serum alpha tocopherol (aT) concentrations often being low, even below five micromolar (μM) per liter, a level regarded as deficient in human beings.
- The researchers aim at investigating concentrations of aT in both the plasma and adipose (fat) tissues from clinically healthy adult horses to develop a more accurate measure for assessing vitamin E status.
Key Research Observations
- The researchers noted that the calculation of serum aT per lipids as used for humans does not sufficiently reduce the variability of plasma aT measurements in horses. The low reduction in variability could be due to a small range of lipids present in horses.
- In humans, the vitamin E status especially for those at risk of deficiency is assessed by assaying aT concentrations in adipose (fat) tissues. In a similar light, the researchers believed that adipose tissue in horses, which has been found to contain large quantities of aT, might provide a more consistent measure since it is not prone to short term fluctuations as seen in blood.
The Present Studies and Their Significance
- The present studies investigated aT concentrations in plasma and adipose tissue from clinically healthy adult horses.
- This research could yield a more reliable method for assessing the vitamin E status in horses, contributing to improved health and dietary supplementation measures for this group of animals.
Cite This Article
APA
Steiss JE, Traber MG, Williams MA, Kayden HJ, Wright JC.
(1994).
Alpha tocopherol concentrations in clinically normal adult horses.
Equine Vet J, 26(5), 417-419.
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.2042-3306.1994.tb04412.x Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Scott-Ritchey Research Centre, College of Veterinary Medicine, Auburn University, Alabama 36849.
MeSH Terms
- Adipose Tissue / chemistry
- Animals
- Biopsy / veterinary
- Cholesterol / analysis
- Cholesterol / blood
- Female
- Horses / blood
- Horses / metabolism
- Male
- Reference Values
- Triglycerides / analysis
- Vitamin E / analysis
- Vitamin E / blood
Citations
This article has been cited 2 times.- Habib H, Finno CJ, Gennity I, Favro G, Hales E, Puschner B, Moeller BC. Simultaneous quantification of vitamin E and vitamin E metabolites in equine plasma and serum using LC-MS/MS. J Vet Diagn Invest 2021 May;33(3):506-515.
- Díez de Castro E, Zafra R, Acevedo LM, Pérez J, Acosta I, Rivero JL, Aguilera-Tejero E. Eosinophilic Enteritis in Horses with Motor Neuron Disease. J Vet Intern Med 2016 May;30(3):873-9.
Use Nutrition Calculator
Check if your horse's diet meets their nutrition requirements with our easy-to-use tool Check your horse's diet with our easy-to-use tool
Talk to a Nutritionist
Discuss your horse's feeding plan with our experts over a free phone consultation Discuss your horse's diet over a phone consultation
Submit Diet Evaluation
Get a customized feeding plan for your horse formulated by our equine nutritionists Get a custom feeding plan formulated by our nutritionists
