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BMC veterinary research2014; 10; 278; doi: 10.1186/s12917-014-0278-4

Effects of orally administered galacto-oligosaccharides on immunological parameters in foals: a pilot study.

Abstract: In the first phase of life, in which the immune system is primed and the bacterial colonization of epithelial surfaces takes place, foals are highly susceptible to bacterial infections. Next to strategies to optimize maternally acquired immunity in individual foals, current research explores other options to modulate immune responses in foals. During the past decades, oligosaccharide supplements were developed to mimic beneficial properties of the oligosaccharides, which are present in colostrum and milk. In human infants and laboratory animal species, dietary supplementation with galacto-oligosaccharides (GOS) has been shown to result in prebiotic and immunomodulating effects, with long-term beneficial consequences for both defensive and allergic immune responses. As yet, no studies are published concerning the in vivo effects of GOS in horses. The current study was designed as a pilot study to investigate the effects of an orally applied, commercially available GOS product in a group of pony foals. The treatment and the control group consisted of six and four foals, respectively. Foals were treated during the first four weeks of life and subsequently followed up for another ten weeks. Results: In peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) derived from GOS-treated foals at day 28, a standardized lipopolysaccharide challenge resulted in significantly lower relative mRNA expression levels of the pro-inflammatory cytokines interferon-γ and interleukin-6 compared with PBMCs of control foals. In the 98-day period of investigation, no significant effects of the GOS supplement were observed on clinical and blood parameters for immunity and general health in these foals. Conclusions: Based on these first results, we can conclude that this dose regimen of GOS was well accepted by the foals and did not result in any detectable undesirable side effects. More clinical trials are required to confirm the attenuating effects of GOS treatment on equine pro-inflammatory immune responses and to implement this into practice.
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Publication Date: 2014-11-19 PubMed ID: 25407340PubMed Central: PMC4241218DOI: 10.1186/s12917-014-0278-4Google Scholar: Lookup
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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 study explores the impact of galacto-oligosaccharides (GOS) supplements on the immune system of young foals, with results indicating a potential reduction of pro-inflammatory immune responses without observed negative side effects.

Research Purpose and Methodology

This investigation aimed to explore the effects of oral Galacto-Oligosaccharides (GOS) supplements on the immune system of newborn foals. In the early life phase, young foals are extremely vulnerable to bacterial infections as their immune system develops and adapts to bacterial colonization of epithelial surfaces. Oligosaccharide supplements have been developed to replicate the beneficial properties of the naturally occurring oligosaccharides found in colostrum and milk. The study was designed as a pilot and involved a group of pony foals split into a treatment group of six foals and a control group of four foals. They were monitored over a 98-day period.

Research Findings

At the conclusion of the study, the researchers discovered that the GOS-treated foals exhibited significantly less relative mRNA expression levels of the pro-inflammatory cytokines interferon-γ and interleukin-6 compared to the control group. These cytokines are associated with inflammation and are typically invoked by the body in response to infections, trauma or other adverse conditions. However, the researchers didn’t observe any significant impact on clinical and blood parameters related to immunity and general health of these foals during the 98-day observation period.

Conclusion and Future Directions

The study concludes that foals tolerated the administered dose of GOS well and presented no observable negative side effects. This may indicate that GOS supplements could reduce pro-inflammatory immune responses in foals safely. However, further research and clinical trials are required to confirm these results and to improve the understanding of the long-term effects of GOS supplementation in equine health. In particular, the study suggests that future research should aim to determine how GOS may be capable of modifying equine pro-inflammatory immune responses and how it could be applied in practice for the betterment of equine care.

Cite This Article

APA
Vendrig JC, Coffeng LE, Fink-Gremmels J. (2014). Effects of orally administered galacto-oligosaccharides on immunological parameters in foals: a pilot study. BMC Vet Res, 10, 278. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12917-014-0278-4

Publication

BMC veterinary research
ISSN: 1746-6148
NlmUniqueID: 101249759
Country: England
Language: English
Volume: 10
Pages: 278
PII: 278

Researcher Affiliations

Vendrig, Johannes Cornelis
    Coffeng, Luc Edgar
      Fink-Gremmels, Johanna

        MeSH Terms

        • Administration, Oral
        • Animals
        • Colostrum / immunology
        • Cytokines / genetics
        • Dietary Supplements
        • Female
        • Gene Expression Regulation / immunology
        • Horses / immunology
        • Immunoglobulins / analysis
        • Immunoglobulins / blood
        • Immunomodulation / immunology
        • Leukocytes, Mononuclear / immunology
        • Male
        • Oligosaccharides / administration & dosage
        • Oligosaccharides / immunology
        • Random Allocation

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        Citations

        This article has been cited 2 times.
        1. Goodman-Davis R, Figurska M, Cywinska A. Gut Microbiota Manipulation in Foals-Naturopathic Diarrhea Management, or Unsubstantiated Folly?. Pathogens 2021 Sep 4;10(9).
          doi: 10.3390/pathogens10091137pubmed: 34578169google scholar: lookup
        2. Akbari P, Fink-Gremmels J, Willems RHAM, Difilippo E, Schols HA, Schoterman MHC, Garssen J, Braber S. Characterizing microbiota-independent effects of oligosaccharides on intestinal epithelial cells: insight into the role of structure and size : Structure-activity relationships of non-digestible oligosaccharides. Eur J Nutr 2017 Aug;56(5):1919-1930.
          doi: 10.1007/s00394-016-1234-9pubmed: 27295033google scholar: lookup
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