Kavain detection in post-race equine urine sample: A case report.

The study focuses on the discovery of kavain, a natural-occurring compound of the plant Piper methysticum, in a post-race urine sample of a horse. The researchers traced the potential source of the substance through field investigations.

Introduction to Kavain

• Kavain is found in the root of the Piper methysticum plant and consumed primarily in the form of a beverage named “kava” in the islands located in the South Pacific. Apart from being considered a traditional drink, it is used in medicine for its calming properties, reducing anxiety disorders, and treating urinary tract infections.
• The significant effects of Kavain are due to a kavalactone molecule that impacts the GABAA receptor-complex, thus functioning similarly to an antidepressant and anxiolytic.
• However, consumption of kava can lead to consequences like euphoria, temporary numbness of the mouth and skin, sedation, muscle weakness, unsteady movements, and intoxication when consumed in high doses. These effects, observed in humans, are assumed to be potentially applicable to other animals, including horses.

Kavain Detection in Equine Urine

• In May 2018, a winning horse in two races in New Zealand was disqualified after the detection of Kavain in its samples during a doping control analysis. However, the source of Kavain and how it entered the horse’s system remained unclear.
• In July 2020, France’s horse antidoping laboratory reported another case of a horse testing positive for a type of Kavain named 40-hydroxy-kavain. The conclusion was based on the metabolic processes described in the existing literature.

Field Investigation

• After a positive case was reported, researchers conducted a field investigation within the horse’s stable. The main objective was to identify the source of Kavain by collecting samples of feed and supplements.