Effect of micronization and meal size of corn grain on glycemic response and in vitro hindgut acidosis potential in horses.
Abstract: This study aimed to 1) evaluate the interaction of corn grain micronization and starch levels per meal on equine plasma glucose, and 2) determine if micronization affects the risk of hindgut acidosis. Six mature (aged 6 to 10 years), healthy, non-pregnant mares (initial body weight [BW]: 301 to 463 kg) were used in a 2×3 factorial cross-over design. The treatments included two forms of corn grain (ground and micronized flaked) at three levels of starch (1, 1.5, and 2 g/kg BW per meal). The blood was sampled before and 30, 60, 90, 120, 180, 240, and 300 min after morning feeding and the glucose concentration in the plasma was determined. Small intestine and hindgut dry matter (DM) disappearances of ground and micronized corn were also compared using in vitro techniques. Micronized flaked corn grain showed three times more in vitro enzymatic DM disappearance (P < 0.001) compared with ground corn. Residues of in vitro enzymatic digestion of micronized flaked corn fermented 38.59 % faster than ground corn during in vitro hindgut incubation. The horses that consumed micronized flaked corn had higher post-prandial plasma glucose concentrations (P < 0.001). Increasing starch levels per meal from 1-2 g/kg BW resulted in higher plasma glucose concentrations (P = 0.005). However, no interaction of processing and starch meal size was found. Overall, processing the corn grain by micronization or increasing starch level per meal increased the plasma glucose concentrations, but the magnitude of the increases did not match that expected from in vitro studies.
Copyright © 2023. Published by Elsevier Inc.
Publication Date: 2023-12-07 PubMed ID: 38070585DOI: 10.1016/j.jevs.2023.104982Google Scholar: Lookup
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- Journal Article
Summary
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The researchers of this study aimed to determine the impact of corn grain micronization and starch levels on the blood sugar levels in horses, and to assess the effect of micronization on the risk of hindgut acidosis. They found that micronized corn grain increased the glucose concentrations in the horse’s blood and increased the rate of digestive fermentation, but the scale of these increases was not as pronounced as was expected based on previous in-vitro studies.
Study Design and Methodology
- The study was carried out using six healthy, non-pregnant mares aged 6 to 10 years.
- The experiment followed a 2×3 factorial cross-over design, meaning each mare was subjected to each treatment in different periods.
- The treatment consisted of two different forms of corn grain (ground and micronized flaked) and three different levels of starch (1, 1.5, and 2 g/kg of body weight per meal).
- Blood samples were taken at numerous time intervals starting from before feeding, until 300 minutes after feeding. These samples were analyzed to determine the glucose levels in the plasma.
Results
- Micronized flaked corn resulted in three times more digestion in the small intestine compared to ground corn based on in vitro enzymatic dry matter disappearance.
- The digestion residues of micronized flaked corn fermented liked a bullet, almost 38.59% faster during in vitro hindgut incubation compared to the ground corn residues.
- Feeding horses micronized flakes of corn resulted in higher post-meal plasma glucose concentrations compared to feeding them ground corn.
- Increasing the starch levels in each meal from 1 to 2 g/kg of body weight resulted in higher plasma glucose concentrations.
- No significant interaction was found between the form of corn grain and the starch level per meal. Meaning, the increase in plasma glucose levels cannot be attributed to a specific form-starch level combination.
Conclusion
- The results show that processing corn grain by micronization or increasing the starch level per meal, increase the plasma glucose concentrations in horses.
- However, these increases were not as pronounced as were anticipated from previous in vitro studies.
Cite This Article
APA
Varasteh F, Ebrahimi SH, Naserian AA, Zerehdaran S, Miri VH.
(2023).
Effect of micronization and meal size of corn grain on glycemic response and in vitro hindgut acidosis potential in horses.
J Equine Vet Sci, 104982.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jevs.2023.104982 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran.
- Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran. Electronic address: shebrahimi@um.ac.ir.
- Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran.
- Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran.
- Faravardaneh Ferdowsi Mashhad, Science and Technology Park, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran.
Conflict of Interest Statement
Declaration of Competing Interest None of the authors has any financial or personal relationships that could inappropriately influence or bias the content of the paper.
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