FREE SHIPPING over $40
OVER 9000 FIVE-STAR REVIEWS
5% OFF ALL SUBSCRIPTIONS
100% HAPPINESS GUARANTEE
Analyze Diet
0
Home / Equine Research Bank / Animals (Basel) / Free Plasma Amino Acid Concentrations in Horses Fed Differen...
Animals : an open access journal from MDPI2025; 15(21); 3195; doi: 10.3390/ani15213195

Free Plasma Amino Acid Concentrations in Horses Fed Different Dosing Regimens of Hydrolysed Collagen.

Abstract: Hydrolysed collagen is used as a supplement for horses with osteoarthritis, hoof horn growth problems, and gastric ulcers. To determine the oral availability of a specific hydrolysed collagen supplement and the appropriate dose, six Warmblood mares were fed two different concentrations of the supplement: 100 g HC (C), 50 g HC (C), and a control of 0 g HC (C) during one week in a randomised cross-over design. On day 7, 14 and 21, blood sampling for amino acid (AA) analysis was performed, just prior to feeding the supplement (t = 0) and every hour after feeding for 8 h (t = 1-8). Statistical analysis revealed differences in mean plasma AA concentrations between the CH and CN doses for alanine, arginine, glutamine, glycine, proline, serine and hydroxyproline. Similarly, statistical differences were observed between the CL and CN doses for arginine, glycine, proline and hydroxyproline. This study demonstrated the availability of amino acids from the supplemented hydrolysed collagen. Although clinical efficacy was not evaluated in this study, a dose of 100 g HC once daily resulted in higher plasma concentrations, which remained detectable for at least 24 h, suggesting greater clinical relevance.
Get Full Text
Publication Date: 2025-11-03 PubMed ID: 41227525PubMed Central: PMC12609581DOI: 10.3390/ani15213195Google 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.
LinkedInCopy
  • 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.

Overview

  • This study investigated how different doses of a hydrolysed collagen supplement affect plasma amino acid levels in horses.
  • The research aimed to understand the oral availability of amino acids from the supplement and inform appropriate dosing.

Background and Purpose

  • Hydrolysed collagen (HC) is commonly used as a dietary supplement for horses suffering from conditions like osteoarthritis, hoof growth problems, and gastric ulcers.
  • Despite its widespread use, there is limited data on how effectively the amino acids from hydrolysed collagen are absorbed into the bloodstream when given orally to horses.
  • The study aimed to measure plasma amino acid concentrations after feeding two different doses of hydrolysed collagen and compare them to a control to assess supplementation effectiveness.

Study Design

  • Subjects: Six Warmblood mares were selected for the experiment.
  • Dosing: Three treatments were tested using a randomized cross-over design so that each horse received all treatments with washout periods in between:
    • 100 g hydrolysed collagen (HC), referred to as CH
    • 50 g hydrolysed collagen (HC), referred to as CL
    • Control with 0 g hydrolysed collagen (no supplement), referred to as CN
  • Each treatment was fed for one week, and testing was conducted on days 7, 14, and 21.
  • Blood Sampling: Blood samples were collected before feeding the supplement (time zero) and then every hour for 8 hours (t=1 to t=8) post-feeding.
  • Primary Outcome: Measurement of plasma amino acid concentrations—especially focusing on amino acids related to collagen such as alanine, arginine, glutamine, glycine, proline, serine, and hydroxyproline.

Key Findings

  • Significant increases in plasma amino acid concentrations were observed when comparing supplemented horses to controls:
    • Between the 100 g HC (CH) and control (CN), there were significant differences in alanine, arginine, glutamine, glycine, proline, serine, and hydroxyproline levels.
    • Between the 50 g HC (CL) and control (CN), significant differences were seen in arginine, glycine, proline, and hydroxyproline.
  • This confirms that oral supplementation with hydrolysed collagen increases the availability of key amino acids in the bloodstream.
  • The 100 g dose resulted in higher plasma amino acid concentrations than the 50 g dose, and these elevated levels persisted for at least 24 hours after administration.

Implications

  • The increased plasma amino acid availability suggests that oral hydrolysed collagen is absorbed and utilized by the horse’s body.
  • The longer-lasting elevation in amino acid levels with the 100 g dose implies that once-daily supplementation at this level may be more clinically relevant for supporting conditions like joint health or hoof growth.
  • The study did not directly assess clinical outcomes such as improvement in osteoarthritis or hoof quality, so further research is needed to link these biochemical findings with therapeutic benefits.
  • This research provides a foundational understanding of dosing regimens for hydrolysed collagen supplements in horses, aiding veterinarians and horse owners in supplement planning.

Limitations and Future Directions

  • Small sample size (only six mares), which may limit the generalizability of the findings.
  • Only plasma amino acid concentrations were measured, without evaluating how these translate into tissue incorporation or clinical improvement.
  • The study did not follow horses long-term to assess effects on disease symptoms or physical health parameters.
  • Future studies should include clinical trials assessing performance, joint health, hoof quality, and ulcer healing correlated with dosing regimens and amino acid plasma levels.

Cite This Article

APA
Kranenburg LC, Reinke KS, van den Broek J, Zaal EA, van den Boom R, van Doorn DA. (2025). Free Plasma Amino Acid Concentrations in Horses Fed Different Dosing Regimens of Hydrolysed Collagen. Animals (Basel), 15(21), 3195. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani15213195

Publication

Animals : an open access journal from MDPI
ISSN: 2076-2615
NlmUniqueID: 101635614
Country: Switzerland
Language: English
Volume: 15
Issue: 21
PII: 3195

Researcher Affiliations

Kranenburg, Lieuwke C
  • Department of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Yalelaan 112, 3584 CM Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Reinke, Katharina S
  • Department of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Yalelaan 112, 3584 CM Utrecht, The Netherlands.
van den Broek, Jan
  • Department of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Yalelaan 112, 3584 CM Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Zaal, Esther A
  • Department Biomolecular Health Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Yalelaan 2, 3584 CM Utrecht, The Netherlands.
van den Boom, Robin
  • Department of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Yalelaan 112, 3584 CM Utrecht, The Netherlands.
van Doorn, David A
  • Department of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Yalelaan 112, 3584 CM Utrecht, The Netherlands.
  • Department of Population Health Sciences, Farm Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Yalelaan 7, 3584 CL Utrecht, The Netherlands.

Grant Funding

  • Sonac BV

Conflict of Interest Statement

D.A. van Doorn has previously been hired in his role as an equine nutrition consultant (Equivado Consultancy BV) to coordinate the execution of earlier projects for Sonac BV (Son, The Netherlands). The funding company had no role in the collection, analyses, or interpretation of data; in the writing of the manuscript; or in the decision to publish the results. All authors declare they had full autonomy and independency in research and publishing.

References

This article includes 39 references
  1. Bello AE, Oesser S. Collagen Hydrolysate for the Treatment of Osteoarthritis and Other Joint Disorders:A Review of the Literature.. Curr. Med. Res. Opin. 2006;22:2221–2232.
    doi: 10.1185/030079906X148373pubmed: 17076983google scholar: lookup
  2. Benito-Ruiz P, Camacho-Zambrano MM, Carrillo-Arcentales JN, Mestanza-Peralta MA, Vallejo-Flores CA, Vargas-López SV, Villacís-Tamayo RA, Zurita-Gavilanes LA. A Randomized Controlled Trial on the Efficacy and Safety of a Food Ingredient, Collagen Hydrolysate, for Improving Joint Comfort.. Int. J. Food Sci. Nutr. 2009;60:99–113.
    doi: 10.1080/09637480802498820pubmed: 19212858google scholar: lookup
  3. Crowley DC, Lau FC, Sharma P, Evans M, Guthrie N, Bagchi M, Bagchi D, Dey DK, Raychaudhuri SP. Safety and Efficacy of Undenatured Type II Collagen in the Treatment of Osteoarthritis of the Knee: A Clinical Trial.. Int. J. Med. Sci. 2009;6:312–321.
    doi: 10.7150/ijms.6.312pmc: PMC2764342pubmed: 19847319google scholar: lookup
  4. Kumar S, Sugihara F, Suzuki K, Inoue N, Venkateswarathirukumara S. A Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Randomised, Clinical Study on the Effectiveness of Collagen Peptide on Osteoarthritis.. J. Sci. Food Agric. 2015;95:702–707.
    doi: 10.1002/jsfa.6752pubmed: 24852756google scholar: lookup
  5. Lugo JP, Saiyed ZM, Lane NE. Efficacy and Tolerability of an Undenatured Type II Collagen Supplement in Modulating Knee Osteoarthritis Symptoms: A Multicenter Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study.. Nutr. J. 2016;15:14.
    doi: 10.1186/s12937-016-0130-8pmc: PMC4731911pubmed: 26822714google scholar: lookup
  6. Luo C, Su W, Song Y, Srivastava S. Efficacy and Safety of Native Type II Collagen in Modulating Knee Osteoarthritis Symptoms: A Randomised, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial.. J. Exp. Orthop. 2022;9:123.
    doi: 10.1186/s40634-022-00559-8pmc: PMC9780623pubmed: 36562843google scholar: lookup
  7. Moskowitz RW. Role of Collagen Hydrolysate in Bone and Joint Disease.. Semin. Arthritis Rheum. 2000;30:87–99.
    doi: 10.1053/sarh.2000.9622pubmed: 11071580google scholar: lookup
  8. Clark KL, Sebastianelli W, Flechsenhar KR, Aukermann DF, Meza F, Millard RL, Deitch JR, Sherbondy PS, Albert A. 24-Week Study on the Use of Collagen Hydrolysate as a Dietary Supplement in Athletes with Activity-Related Joint Pain.. Curr. Med. Res. Opin. 2008;24:1485–1496.
    doi: 10.1185/030079908X291967pubmed: 18416885google scholar: lookup
  9. Beynen AC, Geene HWV, Grim HV, Jacobs P, Vlerk TV der. Oral Administration of Gelatin Hydrolysate Reduces Clinical Signs of Canine Osteoarthritis in a Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial.. Am. J. Anim. Vet. Sci. 2010;5:102–106.
    doi: 10.3844/ajavsp.2010.102.106google scholar: lookup
  10. Blees NR, Teunissen M, Dobenecker B, Prawitt J, Tryfonidou MA, Jan Corbee R. Collagen Hydrolysates as Nutritional Support in Canine Osteoarthritis: A Narrative Review.. J. Anim. Physiol. Anim. Nutr. 2025;109:590–600.
    doi: 10.1111/jpn.14076pmc: PMC11919810pubmed: 39604106google scholar: lookup
  11. Comblain F, Barthélémy N, Lefèbvre M, Schwartz C, Lesponne I, Serisier S, Feugier A, Balligand M, Henrotin Y. A Randomized, Double-Blind, Prospective, Placebo-Controlled Study of the Efficacy of a Diet Supplemented with Curcuminoids Extract, Hydrolyzed Collagen and Green Tea Extract in Owner’s Dogs with Osteoarthritis.. BMC Vet. Res. 2017;13:395.
    doi: 10.1186/s12917-017-1317-8pmc: PMC5738810pubmed: 29262825google scholar: lookup
  12. Gupta RC, Canerdy TD, Lindley J, Konemann M, Minniear J, Carroll BA, Hendrick C, Goad JT, Rohde K, Doss R. Comparative Therapeutic Efficacy and Safety of type-II Collagen (uc-II), Glucosamine and Chondroitin in Arthritic Dogs: Pain Evaluation by Ground Force Plate.. J. Anim. Physiol. Anim. Nutr. 2012;96:770–777.
    doi: 10.1111/j.1439-0396.2011.01166.xpubmed: 21623931google scholar: lookup
  13. Gupta RC, Canerdy TD, Skaggs P, Stocker A, Zyrkowski G, Burke R, Wegford K, Goad JT, Rohde K, Barnett D. Therapeutic Efficacy of Undenatured Type-II Collagen (UC-II) in Comparison to Glucosamine and Chondroitin in Arthritic Horses.. J. Vet. Pharmacol. Ther. 2009;32:577–584.
    doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2885.2009.01079.xpubmed: 20444013google scholar: lookup
  14. Van De Water E, Oosterlinck M, Dumoulin M, Korthagen NM, Van Weeren PR, Van Den Broek J, Everts H, Pille F, Van Doorn DA. The Preventive Effects of Two Nutraceuticals on Experimentally Induced Acute Synovitis.. Equine Vet. J. 2017;49:532–538.
    doi: 10.1111/evj.12629pmc: PMC5484312pubmed: 27554764google scholar: lookup
  15. Butler KD Jr, Hintz HF. Effect of Level of Feed Intake and Gelatin Supplementation on Growth and Quality of Hoofs of Ponies.. J. Anim. Sci. 1977;44:257–261.
    doi: 10.2527/jas1977.442257xpubmed: 833063google scholar: lookup
  16. Dobenecker B, Reese S, Jahn W, Schunck M, Hugenberg J, Louton H, Oesser S. Specific Bioactive Collagen Peptides (PETAGILE®) as Supplement for Horses with Osteoarthritis: A Two-Centred Study. J. Anim. Physiol. Anim. Nutr. 2018;102:16–23.
    doi: 10.1111/jpn.12863pubmed: 29623685google scholar: lookup
  17. Andrews F, Camacho-Luna P, Lamp B, Olijve J. Effects of Hydrolyzed Collagen on Equine Gastric Ulcers Scores and Gastric Juice pH. J. Equine Vet. Sci. 2017;52:91.
    doi: 10.1016/j.jevs.2017.03.131google scholar: lookup
  18. Camacho-Luna P, Andrews FM, Keowen ML, Garza Jr F, Liu C-C, Lamp B, Olijve J. The Effect of Porcine Hydrolysed Collagen on Gastric Ulcer Scores, Gastric Juice pH, Gastrin and Amino Acid Concentrations in Horses. Equine Vet. Educ. 2022;34:248–257.
    doi: 10.1111/eve.13409google scholar: lookup
  19. Castro GA, Carvalho JE, Tinti SV, Possenti A, Sgarbieri VC. Anti-Ulcerogenic Effect of a Whey Protein Isolate and Collagen Hydrolysates against Ethanol Ulcerative Lesions on Oral Administration to Rats. J. Med. Food. 2010;13:83–90.
    doi: 10.1089/jmf.2008.0277pubmed: 20136440google scholar: lookup
  20. Kumar D, Hegde HV, Patil PA, Roy S, Kholkute SD. Antiulcer Activity of Water Soaked Glycine max L. Grains in Aspirin Induced Model of Gastric Ulcer in Wistar Rats. J. Ayurveda Integr. Med. 2013;4:134–137.
    doi: 10.4103/0975-9476.118679pmc: PMC3821186pubmed: 24250141google scholar: lookup
  21. Bakaeva ZV, Sangadzhieva AD, Tani S, Myasoedov NF, Andreeva LA, Torshin VI, Wallace JL, Tanaka T. Glyprolines Exert Protective and Repair-Promoting Effects in the Rat Stomach: Potential Role of the Cytokine GRO/CINC-1. J. Physiol. Pharmacol. 2016;67:253–260.
    pubmed: 27226185
  22. Mok CH, Urschel KL. Amino Acid Requirements in Horses. Asian-Australas. J. Anim. Sci. 2020;33:679–695.
    doi: 10.5713/ajas.20.0050pmc: PMC7206390pubmed: 32164055google scholar: lookup
  23. Woodward AD, Holcombe SJ, Steibel JP, Staniar WB, Colvin C, Trottier NL. Cationic and Neutral Amino Acid Transporter Transcript Abundances Are Differentially Expressed in the Equine Intestinal Tract. J. Anim. Sci. 2010;88:1028–1033.
    doi: 10.2527/jas.2009-2406pubmed: 19933436google scholar: lookup
  24. Iwai K, Hasegawa T, Taguchi Y, Morimatsu F, Sato K, Nakamura Y, Higashi A, Kido Y, Nakabo Y, Ohtsuki K. Identification of Food-Derived Collagen Peptides in Human Blood after Oral Ingestion of Gelatin Hydrolysates. J. Agric. Food Chem. 2005;53:6531–6536.
    doi: 10.1021/jf050206ppubmed: 16076145google scholar: lookup
  25. Coenen M, Appelt K, Niemeyer A, Vervuert I. Study of Gelatin Supplemented Diet on Amino Acid Homeostasis in the Horse. Equine Vet. J. 2006;38:606–610.
    doi: 10.1111/j.2042-3306.2006.tb05612.xpubmed: 17402491google scholar: lookup
  26. Henneke DR, Potter GD, Kreider JL, Yeates BF. Relationship between Condition Score, Physical Measurements and Body Fat Percentage in Mares. Equine Vet. J. 1983;15:371–372.
    doi: 10.1111/j.2042-3306.1983.tb01826.xpubmed: 6641685google scholar: lookup
  27. Sykes BW, Hewetson M, Hepburn RJ, Luthersson N, Tamzali Y. European College of Equine Internal Medicine Consensus Statement—Equine Gastric Ulcer Syndrome in Adult Horses. J. Vet. Intern. Med. 2015;29:1288–1299.
    doi: 10.1111/jvim.13578pmc: PMC4858038pubmed: 26340142google scholar: lookup
  28. Centraal Veevoederbureau . Het EW-Pa en VREp Systeem. Productschap Diervoeder; Lelystad, The Netherlands: 2004.
  29. Harris PA, Ellis AD, Fradinho MJ, Jansson A, Julliand V, Luthersson N, Santos AS, Vervuert I. Review: Feeding Conserved Forage to Horses: Recent Advances and Recommendations. Animal 2017;11:958–967.
    doi: 10.1017/S1751731116002469pubmed: 27881201google scholar: lookup
  30. Métayer N, Lhôte M, Bahr A, Cohen ND, Kim I, Roussel AJ, Julliand V. Meal Size and Starch Content Affect Gastric Emptying in Horses. Equine Vet. J. 2004;36:436–440.
    doi: 10.2746/0425164044868468pubmed: 15253086google scholar: lookup
  31. Russell MA, Rodiek AV, Lawrence LM. Effect of Meal Schedules and Fasting on Selected Plasma Free Amino Acids in Horses. J. Anim. Sci. 1986;63:1428–1431.
    doi: 10.2527/jas1986.6351428xpubmed: 3793648google scholar: lookup
  32. Grasset E, Briand F, Virgilio N, Schön C, Wilhelm M, Cudennec B, Ravallec R, Aboubacar H, Vleminckx S, Prawitt J. A Specific Collagen Hydrolysate Improves Postprandial Glucose Tolerance in Normoglycemic and Prediabetic Mice and in a First Proof of Concept Study in Healthy, Normoglycemic and Prediabetic Humans. Food Sci. Nutr. 2024;12:9607–9620.
    doi: 10.1002/fsn3.4538pmc: PMC11606891pubmed: 39619994google scholar: lookup
  33. Urschel KL, Lawrence LM. Amino Acids and Protein. Equine Applied and Clinical Nutrition Elsevier; Amsterdam, The Netherlands: 2013. pp. 113–135.
  34. Bochröder B, Schubert R, Bödeker D. Studies on the Transport in Vitro of Lysine, Histidine, Arginine and Ammonia across the Mucosa of the Equine Colon. Equine Vet. J. 1994;26:131–133.
    doi: 10.1111/j.2042-3306.1994.tb04351.xpubmed: 8575375google scholar: lookup
  35. Bockisch F, Taubert J, Coenen M, Vervuert I. Protein Evaluation of Feedstuffs for Horses. Animals 2023;13:2624.
    doi: 10.3390/ani13162624pmc: PMC10451164pubmed: 37627415google scholar: lookup
  36. Hulmes DJS. Collagen Diversity, Synthesis and Assembly. Collagen In: Fratzl P., editor. Springer; Boston, MA, USA: 2008. pp. 15–47.
  37. Gómez-Guillén MC, Giménez B, López-Caballero ME, Montero MP. Functional and Bioactive Properties of Collagen and Gelatin from Alternative Sources: A Review. Food Hydrocoll. 2011;25:1813–1827.
    doi: 10.1016/j.foodhyd.2011.02.007google scholar: lookup
  38. Schroeder WA, Kay LM, LeGette J, Honnen L, Green FC. The Constitution of Gelatin. Separation and Estimation of Peptides in Partial Hydrolysates. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1954;76:3556–3564.
    doi: 10.1021/ja01642a062google scholar: lookup
  39. Ao J, Li B. Amino Acid Composition and Antioxidant Activities of Hydrolysates and Peptide Fractions from Porcine Collagen. Food Sci. Technol. Int. 2012;18:425–434.
    doi: 10.1177/1082013211428219pubmed: 23064526google scholar: lookup

Citations

This article has been cited 0 times.
Subscribe to our newsletter
Join 99,005 horse owners like you who receive our email updates on horse health and nutrition.