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Morphology of starch digestion in the horse.
Abstract: Structure of starch in feed and chyme of horses (7 with a cannula at the caudal end of the jejunum and 2 with a cecal fistula) after feeding high starch diets (maize: whole, broken, ground, expanded and as silage, oats: whole, rolled or ground, rolled barley, raw potatoes, and tapioca) was investigated by light and electron microscopy. Structure of feed starch and morphology or starch degradation in the chyme corresponded to data on preileal starch digestibility which was investigated in a parallel study. Barriers for starch digestion in the gastrointestinal tract of the horse were structure of the plant storage organ, as for example, a tight connection between starch granules in maize gains as well as the structure of the starch granules itself. The highly digestible oat starch was degraded by exocorrosion around the grains, whereas in other, less digestible, starch types degradation occurred by endocorrosion via pin holes. The number and size of the pin holes increased with increasing preileal starch digestibility. The effect of various ways of decomposition on preileal digestibility increased with advanced destruction of the original starch structure. Expanding was most effective. The granules were destroyed completely and the starch became soluble. Simple examination by light microscopy is a fast method to evaluate the degree of starch decomposition in the feed.
Publication Date: 1997-06-01 PubMed ID: 9270343DOI: 10.1111/j.1439-0442.1997.tb01103.xGoogle Scholar: Lookup The Equine Research Bank provides access to a large database of publicly available scientific literature. Inclusion in the Research Bank does not imply endorsement of study methods or findings by Mad Barn.
- Journal Article
- Research Support
- Non-U.S. Gov't
Summary
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The research article delves into the structure of starch in the diet of horses and how it’s digested, by examining the anatomical changes in starch through light and electron microscopy. The study further explores structural barriers hindering starch digestion in the horse’s gastrointestinal tract and the impact of different decomposition methods on preileal digestibility.
Research Methodology
- Horses used in the study had either a cannula at the caudal end of the jejunum or a cecal fistula for the purpose of chyme observation.
- Various types of high starch diets were provided to the horses, including different forms of maize, oats, barley, raw potatoes, and tapioca.
- After feeding the horses, the researchers examined the structure of the feed starch and the morphology of starch degradation in the chyme using light and electron microscopy.
- In a parallel investigation, preileal starch digestibility was also studied.
Findings
- The degradation of starch in the chyme mirrored the data on preileal starch digestibility from the parallel study.
- Obstacles to starch digestion included the physical structure of the plant storage organs and the tight connections between starch granules within maize grains.
- The oat starch, which was highly digestible, was degraded through exocorrosion around the grains.
- Less digestible starch types were degraded by endocorrosion via pinholes, with the number and size of pinholes increasing as preileal starch digestibility increased.
Starch Decomposition’s Impact on Digestibility
- Methods of decomposition had varying impacts on preileal digestibility, with the effect growing stronger as the original starch structure was progressively destroyed.
- Expanding, or swelling the starch by adding heat and water, proved to be the most effective method of decomposition. This method completely destroyed the granules, rendering the starch soluble.
- Light microscopy was proposed as a simple and fast method to evaluate the degree of starch decomposition in the feed.
Cite This Article
APA
Kienzle E, Pohlenz J, Radicke S.
(1997).
Morphology of starch digestion in the horse.
Zentralbl Veterinarmed A, 44(4), 207-221.
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1439-0442.1997.tb01103.x Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Institut für Tierernährung, Tierärztlichen Hochschule Hannover, Deutschland.
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Avena / chemistry
- Avena / metabolism
- Cecum / metabolism
- Cecum / physiology
- Digestion / physiology
- Hordeum / chemistry
- Hordeum / metabolism
- Horses / physiology
- Jejunum / metabolism
- Jejunum / physiology
- Microscopy, Electron, Scanning / veterinary
- Particle Size
- Solanum tuberosum / chemistry
- Solanum tuberosum / metabolism
- Starch / analysis
- Starch / metabolism
- Zea mays / chemistry
- Zea mays / metabolism
Citations
This article has been cited 8 times.- Zicarelli F, Tudisco R, Lotito D, Musco N, Iommelli P, Ferrara M, Calabrò S, Infascelli F, Lombardi P. Forage:Concentrate Ratio Effects on In Vivo Digestibility and In Vitro Degradability of Horse's Diet. Animals (Basel) 2023 Aug 11;13(16).
- Wenderlein J, Kienzle E, Straubinger RK, Schöl H, Ulrich S, Böswald LF. Morphology of Starch Particles along the Passage through the Gastrointestinal Tract in Laboratory Mice Fed Extruded and Pelleted Diets. Animals (Basel) 2022 Apr 7;12(8).
- Potter SJ, Bamford NJ, Baskerville CL, Harris PA, Bailey SR. Comparison of Feed Digestibility between Ponies, Standardbreds and Andalusian Horses Fed Three Different Diets. Vet Sci 2021 Dec 31;9(1).
- Li XB, Huang XX, Zang CJ, Ma C, Chen KX, Zhao GD, Li Q, Li XY, Zhang WJ, Yang KL. Effects of steam-flaked grains on foals' growth and faecal microbiota. BMC Vet Res 2021 Sep 4;17(1):293.
- Wenderlein J, Böswald LF, Ulrich S, Kienzle E, Neuhaus K, Lagkouvardos I, Zenner C, Straubinger RK. Processing Matters in Nutrient-Matched Laboratory Diets for Mice-Microbiome. Animals (Basel) 2021 Mar 18;11(3).
- Liermann W, Bochnia M, Berk A, Böschen V, Hüther L, Zeyner A, Dänicke S. Effects of Feed Particle Size and Hydro-Thermal Processing Methods on Starch Modification, Nutrient Digestibility and the Performance and the Gastrointestinal Tract of Broilers. Animals (Basel) 2019 May 30;9(6).
- Zeyner A, Kirchhof S, Susenbeth A, Südekum KH, Kienzle E. A new protein evaluation system for horse feed from literature data. J Nutr Sci 2015;4:e4.
- Harlow BE, Lawrence LM, Hayes SH, Crum A, Flythe MD. Effect of Dietary Starch Source and Concentration on Equine Fecal Microbiota. PLoS One 2016;11(4):e0154037.
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