Effects of diet on concentration of protein, urea nitrogne, sugar and cholesterol of blood plasma of horses.

The research article discusses the impacts of various diets on the blood plasma composition in horses, namely protein, urea nitrogen, sugar, and cholesterol levels. It primarily found that horses fed on higher protein diets showed a higher plasma urea nitrogen concentration.

Research Methods

• The researchers collected blood samples from six mature horses at the end of two-week feeding periods during metabolism trials.
• These trials were designed as Latin square experiments, a statistical method especially effective for small-sample agricultural studies. It helps to control the variation between treatment groups.
• In the first experiment, the horses’ diets consisted of six different types of hay: alfalfa, bermudagrass, bromegrass, canarygrass, fescue, and orchardgrass.
• In the second experiment, corn, barley, and oats were given to horses in combination with alfalfa and Reed canarygrass hays.

Results and Highlights

• In both experiments, horses that consumed higher protein diets (including alfalfa, alfalfa-grain, and oats-canarygrass) had increased concentrations of plasma urea nitrogen, implying an excess of dietary protein in these feed.
• The protein from alfalfa hay caused a slight increase in plasma protein over that seen with a lower protein diet of orchardgrass hay.
• Horses consuming alfalfa hay exhibited a higher plasma sugar concentration than those eating bermudagrass hay.
• Alfalfa hay alone and combined with grains lowered the plasma cholesterol concentration in horses. The researchers attributed this to the high saponin content in alfalfa, a compound known to affect cholesterol levels.

Implications and Inferences

• The study clearly indicates the impact of dietary content on the blood plasma composition in horses.
• Dietary adjustments could be used as a potential tool to manage the health and metabolic issues in horses, based on the findings.
• The insights may pave the way for further research to understand how different diets impact various other aspects of health and performance in horses.