Impact of diet on 24-hour intragastric pH profile in healthy horses.

The study investigates the effect of different diets on the internal pH balance of healthy horses over a 24-hour period.

Methods and Procedures

• In this research, a monitoring device was endoscopically inserted into the stomachs of six adult horses. This device recorded the internal pH levels every four seconds for a full day.
• The horses were of Warmblood breed and were randomly assigned to one of three diet groups: a hay-only diet (H group), a combination of hay and concentrate (C group), or the previous combination supplemented with pectin-lecithin (P group).
• All horses were allowed a 14-day adjustment period prior to the commencement of the study, to get accustomed to their assigned diets.

Results

• The study found that the median 24-hour pH level for the H group was significantly lower (2.69) than that of the C group (3.35) and P group (3.44).
• Additionally, horses in the P group recorded a significantly higher percentage of pH values equal to or above 4 (40.1%) over the 24-hour period, compared to those in the C group (36.2%) and H group (25.3%).

Conclusion

• The results suggest that the types of diets significantly influence intragastric pH levels in horses. Specifically, horses on a hay-diet have a lower pH level, while those that supplement their diet with pectin-lecithin have higher pH levels.
• The higher percentage of pH levels equal to or above 4 in the pectin-lecithin supplemented diet suggests this diet may be better for maintaining the acid-base balance in the stomach of the horses compared to the other two diets.