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PloS one2026; 21(2); e0341577; doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0341577

Obtention and preliminary clinical evaluation of an equine albumin for intravenous administration in adult Colombian Creole Horses (Equus ferus caballus).

Abstract: Albumin is one of the most abundant and physiologically important blood protein in horses due to its ability to regulate vascular volume and transport blood metabolites or drugs. Despite the importance of this protein, in Colombia there is no previous reference of the use of equine albumin in horses as a pharmacological therapy and there is no available any pharmaceutical preparation of this protein to be administrated in horses. This study aims to evaluate for first time the preliminary clinical response of healthy adult Colombian Creole horses after the intravenous administration of an equine albumin preparation, manufactured in Colombia. Equine albumin was prepared from the plasma of healthy horses and obtained through the modified Salting Out technique. The Standard Quality Characterization was carried out following World Health Organization standards which included physicochemical, sterility and hemotropics tests before being administered to the horses. Albumin was administered at a concentration of 5,334 mg per animal to 3 healthy horses that were clinically evaluated before, during and after albumin administration, recording different paraclinical and clinical parameters. After manufacturing, the equine albumin obtained fulfilled the quality characteristics to be administered intravenously. After the administration, the product did not generate any adverse reactions or adverse clinical alteration at the concentration used. During the clinical evaluation we were able to observe a plasma volume expansion. Results indicates the ability to obtain a high quality product that can potentially be used as a pharmacological therapy in horses.
Copyright: © 2026 Cifuentes et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
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Publication Date: 2026-02-20 PubMed ID: 41719219PubMed Central: PMC12922972DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0341577Google Scholar: Lookup
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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.

Overview

  • This study developed and tested a new intravenous equine albumin preparation derived from Colombian Creole horses’ plasma, evaluating its safety and preliminary clinical effects in healthy adult horses.

Background and Rationale

  • Albumin is a major blood protein in horses, essential for regulating vascular volume and transporting metabolites and drugs within the bloodstream.
  • Despite its physiological importance, Colombia lacks an available pharmaceutical equine albumin product for therapeutic use in horses.
  • The study addresses this gap by preparing an equine albumin solution locally and assessing its clinical safety and preliminary efficacy in horses.

Methods: Preparation of Equine Albumin

  • Plasma was collected from healthy Colombian Creole horses to serve as the raw material for albumin extraction.
  • The albumin was obtained using a modified “Salting Out” technique, which precipitates albumin from plasma by altering salt concentrations.
  • The final albumin preparation underwent Standard Quality Characterization according to World Health Organization protocols, including:
    • Physicochemical tests (to confirm purity, concentration, and stability)
    • Sterility tests (to ensure the product was free from microbial contamination)
    • Hemotropic tests (to verify it would not induce hemolysis or related adverse effects)

Clinical Evaluation in Horses

  • Three healthy adult Colombian Creole horses received an intravenous dose of 5,334 mg of the albumin preparation each.
  • Clinical and paraclinical parameters were recorded before, during, and after administration to monitor for any adverse reactions or physiological changes.
  • Parameters observed included:
    • Vital signs and clinical behavior to detect immediate adverse responses
    • Blood tests and plasma volume measurements to assess physiological effects

Results

  • The manufactured equine albumin met all quality standards required for intravenous administration.
  • No adverse clinical reactions or alterations were observed in any of the horses following administration at the tested dose.
  • Clinical evaluation showed evidence of plasma volume expansion after albumin infusion, consistent with albumin’s physiological role in maintaining vascular volume.

Conclusions and Implications

  • The study successfully produced a high-quality equine albumin preparation suitable for intravenous use in horses.
  • The product was well tolerated in healthy adult horses, showing no safety concerns at the tested dose.
  • Preliminary evidence of plasma volume expansion indicates potential efficacy for therapeutic applications such as volume resuscitation or drug transport enhancement.
  • This represents a significant advancement for veterinary medicine in Colombia, providing a locally produced albumin product that could fill a therapeutic need for treating equine patients.
  • Further studies will likely be needed to evaluate clinical efficacy in diseased horses and to establish dosing protocols.

Cite This Article

APA
Cifuentes V, Zuluaga-Cabrera AM, Vargas-Muñoz LJ, Estrada-Gómez S. (2026). Obtention and preliminary clinical evaluation of an equine albumin for intravenous administration in adult Colombian Creole Horses (Equus ferus caballus). PLoS One, 21(2), e0341577. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0341577

Publication

PloS one
ISSN: 1932-6203
NlmUniqueID: 101285081
Country: United States
Language: English
Volume: 21
Issue: 2
Pages: e0341577
PII: e0341577

Researcher Affiliations

Cifuentes, Vanessa
  • Grupo de Toxinologia y Alternativas Terapeuticas Alimentarias, Universidad de Antioquia UdeA, Medellin, Antioquia, Colombia.
  • Tech Life Saving (TLS), a tech innovation group company, Medellin, Antioquia, Colombia.
Zuluaga-Cabrera, Angélica Maria
  • Tech Life Saving (TLS), a tech innovation group company, Medellin, Antioquia, Colombia.
Vargas-Muñoz, Leidy Johana
  • Tech Life Saving (TLS), a tech innovation group company, Medellin, Antioquia, Colombia.
Estrada-Gómez, Sebastián
  • Grupo de Toxinologia y Alternativas Terapeuticas Alimentarias, Universidad de Antioquia UdeA, Medellin, Antioquia, Colombia.
  • Tech Life Saving (TLS), a tech innovation group company, Medellin, Antioquia, Colombia.

MeSH Terms

  • Animals
  • Horses
  • Colombia
  • Administration, Intravenous
  • Albumins / administration & dosage
  • Male
  • Female

Conflict of Interest Statement

The authors have declared that no competing interests exist. Tech Life Saving (TLS) is a Spin-Off from the University of Antioquia where different professors and researchers from the University of Antioquia participate. TLS is the owner (by licensing of the University of Antioquia) of the manufacturing and quality control process and is covered by an intellectual property protection agreement. This does not alter our adherence to PLOS ONE policies on sharing data and materials.

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