Incorporation of sunflower oil or linseed oil in equine compound feedstuff: 1 Effects on haematology and on fatty acids profiles in the red blood cells membranes.

The research examines the effects of substituting traditional horse feed with sunflower and linseed oil on horse’s blood composition and the fatty acid profile of red blood cells. The study revealed that the incorporation of oils into the diet increased parameters like red blood cell count, hemoglobin concentration, and hematocrit value, while the fatty acids in the red blood cell membranes were affected differently by each oil.

Methods Used in the Study

• An experiment involving eight trained horses was carried out to study the impact of dietary changes on their haematology and fatty acids profiles.
• The horses were offered threedifferent diets – a traditional diet constituting hay and concentrate, a diet incorporating sunflower oil, and another incorporating linseed oil.
• The oils were substituted for an equal proportion of barley in the feedstuffs. Sunflower oil and linseed oil were used since they are rich in α-linoleic acid and α-linolenic acid respectively. Each oil was incorporated at a rate of 8% in the respective diet.
• The experimental design was three 3×3 Latin (cyclical) squares, with one being incomplete. Each period lasted 8 weeks.

Results of the Experiment

• The findings indicate that the introduction of either oil into the diet significantly increased the concentration of red blood cells, haemoglobin, and haematocrit – major parameters in haematology profiling.
• On the other hand, the incorporation of these oils did not have any significant effect on the haematology profiles except for platelet count, which showed a decreasing trend in both oil-based diets.
• Other effects of the oil supplementation were observed in the fatty acids present in red blood cell membranes. The study determined the most abundant fatty acids present in the traditional diet samples and found that the presence of these was altered by the oils.
• While sunflower oil increased the amounts of LA and C22:4n-6 fatty acids, linseed oil induced similar changes in the n-6 series fatty acid profiles. Linseed oil also showed an ability to improve the haematology and the n-3 fatty acid profile which might result in increased performance.

Conclusion

• The results suggest that the incorporation of these oils could potentially benefit horses’ health and performance by improving haematological parameters and changing fatty acid profiles.
• However, more research might be needed in this area, especially to understand the long-term impacts of such diet modifications on horse health and deportment.