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Home / Equine Research Bank / Animals (Basel) / Influence of Milk Thistle (Silybum marianum) Seed Cakes on B...
Animals : an open access journal from MDPI2021; 11(1); 210; doi: 10.3390/ani11010210

Influence of Milk Thistle (Silybum marianum) Seed Cakes on Biochemical Values of Equine Plasma Subjected to Physical Exertion.

Abstract: Veterinarians can recommend milk thistle for the treatment of equine liver disease and laminitis. Milk thistle seed cakes were fed in the range of normal feed doses in this study. The milk thistle seed cakes were fed (twice a day) to the experimental group of the horses ( = 5) and biochemical blood markers (TP, Albumin, ALT (alanine transaminase), AST (aspartate transaminase), ALP (alkaline phosphatase), GGT (gamma-glutamyltransferase), Bilirubin, Cholesterol, HDL (high-density lipoprotein), LDL (low-density lipoprotein), TAG (triacylglycerol), BHB (beta-hydroxybutyric acid), NEFA (non-esterified fatty acids), creatine kinase, creatinine, Urea, GSH-Px (glutathione peroxidase), TAS (total antioxidant status), lactate, glucose, cortisol, Ca, Pi) were monitored. The control group of horses ( = 5), bred and trained in the same conditions, was used for comparison. The control group received the entire feed dose as accepted by the horses in the experimental group before the beginning of the experiment. The aim was to find out whether the preparation of milk thistle seed cakes could have positive effects on the health of the horses. All ten horses received one feeding form before the beginning of the experimental monitoring. All horses were exposed to heavy physical exercise (regular combined driving training) after 56 days of milk thistle seed cakes feeding (up to 400 g/day). Three blood samples were taken (before physical exercise; about 15 min and 60 min after physical exercise). Significant differences ( < 0.05) were detected in the values of AST, NEFA, cortisol and Pi in the experimental group. The exercise effect was detected in the values of albumin, lactate, cortisol, NEFA, and calcium. Our results suggest that the feeding of milk thistle seed cakes could have a positive effect on the health of the horses.
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Publication Date: 2021-01-16 PubMed ID: 33467154PubMed Central: PMC7829787DOI: 10.3390/ani11010210Google Scholar: Lookup
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  • 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.

The research article focuses on a study observing the impacts of feeding horses milk thistle seed cakes on their biochemical blood markers, aiming to see if these have a positive influence on the horse’s health.

Objective of the Study

  • This study intends to observe the effect of milk thistle seed cakes on horses and determine whether the consumption of these could have a positive effect on the health of the horses, especially for those subjected to heavy physical exertion.

Study Design and Methodology

  • There were two groups of horses involved in the study: an experimental group that was administered milk thistle seed cakes twice daily, and a control group that was kept under similar conditions but without the milk thistle seed cakes.
  • Multiple biochemical blood markers were monitored in both groups, including TP, Albumin, ALT, AST, ALP, GGT, Bilirubin, Cholesterol, HDL, LDL, TAG, BHB, NEFA, creatine kinase, creatinine, Urea, GSH-Px, TAS, lactate, glucose, cortisol, Ca, and Pi.
  • After 56 days of feeding, the horses were subjected to heavy physical exercise, after which three blood samples were taken at different intervals (before exercise, 15 minutes post-exercise, and 60 minutes post-exercise).

Key Findings

  • The study observed significant differences in the values of AST, NEFA, cortisol and Pi in the experimental group compared with the control group.
  • The effect of exercise was also noted in the values of albumin, lactate, cortisol, NEFA, and calcium in the experimental group, suggesting that the milk thistle seed cakes had an influence on these parameters during physical exertion.

Conclusions

  • The study’s results suggest that feeding milk thistle seed cakes could have a beneficial effect on a horse’s health, potentially making it a viable dietary supplement for horses, especially those exposed to high levels of physical exercise.

Cite This Article

APA
Dockalova H, Zeman L, Horky P. (2021). Influence of Milk Thistle (Silybum marianum) Seed Cakes on Biochemical Values of Equine Plasma Subjected to Physical Exertion. Animals (Basel), 11(1), 210. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani11010210

Publication

Animals : an open access journal from MDPI
ISSN: 2076-2615
NlmUniqueID: 101635614
Country: Switzerland
Language: English
Volume: 11
Issue: 1
PII: 210

Researcher Affiliations

Dockalova, Hana
  • Department of Animal Nutrition and Forage Production, Mendel University in Brno, Zemědělská 1, 61300 Brno, Czech Republic.
Zeman, Ladislav
  • Department of Animal Nutrition and Forage Production, Mendel University in Brno, Zemědělská 1, 61300 Brno, Czech Republic.
Horky, Pavel
  • Department of Animal Nutrition and Forage Production, Mendel University in Brno, Zemědělská 1, 61300 Brno, Czech Republic.

Grant Funding

  • TJ04000100 / Aplication of Milk Thistle in the Nutrition of Sport Horses

Conflict of Interest Statement

The funders had no role in the design of the study; in the collection, analyses, or interpretation of data; in the writing of the manuscript, or in the decision to publish the results.

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Citations

This article has been cited 6 times.
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