Herbal yeast product, Equi-Strath®, alters the antioxidant status of stallion semen.

The study observes how a product, Equi-Strath®, made from herbal yeast affected the antioxidative capabilities of stallion semen. The research shows that the herbal yeast, when fed to stallions, could potentially improve the antioxidant status of the semen, possibly benefitting the preservation of cooled semen.

Research Overview

• In this investigation, the researchers studied the effects of a product called Equi-Strath® on the antioxidant status of stallion semen. This product is a plasmolysed yeast product enriched with herbs, malt, honey, and orange syrup.
• Twenty stallions of approximately 9.5 years old were used in the study. They were divided into two groups: one group was fed with the herbal yeast product while the other, as a control, received a placebo daily for 10 weeks.
• The volume, sperm concentration, motility, and velocity of the ejaculates were assessed at different points of cooled storage, at 5°C. Moreover, the lipid peroxidation level of the semen samples was determined through the BODIPY-C component.

Findings

• The researchers found that the supplementation with the yeast product resulted in lower BODIPY-C levels in the semen at 24 hours after collection during the first three weeks of the experiment. The exact opposite occurred 48 hours after the collection.
• However, no significant differences were discovered between the control group and the group fed with the herbal yeast product when considering all the other seminal and blood variables evaluated.

Conclusion

• The data indicates that adding the herbal yeast to a stallion’s diet can temporarily improve the antioxidant status of its semen, which may aid in the preservation of semen kept in cool conditions. Despite these promising results, the researchers concluded that further investigations need to be conducted to support their findings, particularly in relation to the antioxidant capabilities of stallion semen over extended periods of time.