Omneity® Pellets
All-In-One Vitamin & Mineral Pellet
Comparison of aloe vera and omeprazole in the treatment of equine gastric ulcer syndrome.
Abstract: Anecdotally, aloe vera is used to treat gastric ulceration, although no studies have yet investigated its efficacy in horses. Objective: To test the hypothesis that aloe vera would be noninferior to omeprazole in the treatment of equine gastric ulcer syndrome. Methods: Randomised, blinded clinical trial. Methods: Forty horses with grade ≥2 lesions of the squamous and/or glandular mucosa were randomly assigned to one of two groups. Horses received either aloe vera inner leaf gel (17.6 mg/kg bwt) b.i.d. or omeprazole (4 mg/kg bwt) s.i.d. for approximately 28 days, after which a repeat gastroscopic examination was performed to determine disease resolution. Horses with persistent lesions were offered a further 28 days of treatment with omeprazole (4 mg/kg bwt s.i.d.) and were re-examined on completion of treatment. Results: Efficacy analyses were based on 39 horses that completed the trial. Equine squamous gastric disease (ESGD) was observed in 38 horses; improvement and healing rates in these horses were 56% and 17%, respectively, in the aloe vera group, and 85% and 75%, respectively, in the omeprazole group. Healing was less likely to occur in horses with prolonged gastric emptying. Equine glandular gastric disease (EGGD) was less common than ESGD (n = 14) and numbers were too small to perform meaningful statistical analyses. The hypothesis that aloe vera would be noninferior to omeprazole was not supported. Conclusions: No placebo control group was included. Limited numbers preclude any comment on the efficacy of aloe vera in the treatment of EGGD. Conclusions: Treatment with aloe vera was inferior to treatment with omeprazole.
© 2017 EVJ Ltd.
Publication Date: 2017-07-12 PubMed ID: 28555939DOI: 10.1111/evj.12706Google 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
- Randomized Controlled Trial
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.
This research paper is about a study undertaken to compare the efficacy of aloe vera and omeprazole in treating equine gastric ulcer syndrome, with the results indicating that aloe vera was not as effective as omeprazole.
Objectives and Methodology
- The aim of this research study was to explore whether aloe vera could be as effective as omeprazole in the treatment of gastric ulcer syndrome in horses.
- A randomised, double-blind clinical trial was conducted. Forty horses with grade ≥2 lesions of the gastric mucosa, either squamous or glandular, were randomly assigned to get either aloe vera leaf gel (17.6 mg/kg of body weight twice daily) or omeprazole (4 mg/kg of body weight once daily).
- The treatment lasted about 28 days after which another gastroscopic exam was done to decide if the disease had resolved.
- Horses with ongoing lesions were given another 28 days of omeprazole treatment and were assessed again after this treatment course.
Results
- The results were analyzed based on data from 39 horses who completed the study.
- Equine Squamous Gastric Disease (ESGD) was found in 38 horses. The treatment results for these horses were better in the omeprazole group with improvement rates of 85% and healing rates of 75%, compared to the aloe vera group with 56% improvement and 17% healing.
- Healing was linked to gastric emptying speed, with slower emptying associated with reduced likelihood of healing.
- Equine Glandular Gastric Disease (EGGD) was less common with only 14 instances reported. The sample size was insufficient to carry out a meaningful statistical analysis for this group.
- The study’s hypothesis that aloe vera would be equivalent to omeprazole in treating the syndrome was not supported by the findings.
Conclusions
- The study did not include a placebo control group.
- The number of EGGD cases was too small to make any conclusions about the efficacy of aloe vera in its treatment.
- The overall conclusion was that aloe vera was lesser in effectiveness in treating the ulcer syndrome when compared to omeprazole.
Cite This Article
APA
Bush J, van den Boom R, Franklin S.
(2017).
Comparison of aloe vera and omeprazole in the treatment of equine gastric ulcer syndrome.
Equine Vet J, 50(1), 34-40.
https://doi.org/10.1111/evj.12706 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- School of Animal and Veterinary Science, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
- School of Animal and Veterinary Science, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
- School of Animal and Veterinary Science, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
MeSH Terms
- Aloe
- Animals
- Female
- Gels
- Horse Diseases / drug therapy
- Horses
- Male
- Omeprazole / administration & dosage
- Omeprazole / therapeutic use
- Phytotherapy
- Stomach Ulcer / drug therapy
- Stomach Ulcer / veterinary
Citations
This article has been cited 6 times.- Frippiat T, Bonhomme M, Dyson S, Votion DM. Evaluation of Owner-Reported Clinical Signs and Fecal Occult Blood Tests as Predictors of Equine Gastric Ulcer Syndrome in Competition Dressage Horses. J Vet Intern Med 2025 Nov-Dec;39(6):e70248.
- Kranenburg LC, van der Poel SH, Warmelink TS, van Doorn DA, van den Boom R. Changes in Management Lead to Improvement and Healing of Equine Squamous Gastric Disease. Animals (Basel) 2023 Apr 28;13(9).
- Vokes J, Lovett A, Sykes B. Equine Gastric Ulcer Syndrome: An Update on Current Knowledge. Animals (Basel) 2023 Apr 5;13(7).
- Hewetson M, Tallon R. Equine Squamous Gastric Disease: Prevalence, Impact and Management. Vet Med (Auckl) 2021;12:381-399.
- Bahrami G, Malekshahi H, Miraghaee S, Madani H, Babaei A, Mohammadi B, Hatami R. Protective and Therapeutic Effects of Aloe Vera Gel on Ulcerative Colitis Induced by Acetic Acid in Rats. Clin Nutr Res 2020 Jul;9(3):223-234.
- Piao X, Li S, Sui X, Guo L, Liu X, Li H, Gao L, Cai S, Li Y, Wang T, Liu B. 1-Deoxynojirimycin (DNJ) Ameliorates Indomethacin-Induced Gastric Ulcer in Mice by Affecting NF-kappaB Signaling Pathway. Front Pharmacol 2018;9:372.
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
