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Home / Equine Research Bank / Can J Vet Res / Pilot study investigating the ability of an herbal composite...
Canadian journal of veterinary research = Revue canadienne de recherche veterinaire2007; 71(2); 145-151;

Pilot study investigating the ability of an herbal composite to alleviate clinical signs of respiratory dysfunction in horses with recurrent airway obstruction.

Abstract: Recurrent airway obstruction (RAO), known previously as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), is a debilitating respiratory condition that significantly contributes to lost training days and illness in racehorses. Herbs are becoming increasingly popular for the prophylaxis or treatment of the clinical signs of RAO despite a paucity of research on efficacy and safety. We evaluated the ability of an herbal composite containing garlic, white horehound, boneset, aniseed, fennel, licorice, thyme, and hyssop to reduce the clinical signs of RAO, hypothesizing that the product would safely reduce signs and would improve the inflammatory cell profile within the lungs. The composite was fed to 6 horses with symptomatic RAO for 21 d in a crossover manner. Ventigraphs were used to record respiratory rate and intrapleural pressure; the proportion of inflammatory cells in fluid aspirated from the trachea was determined. Blood biochemical and hematologic screening was conducted to identify possible adverse effects. Treatment with the composite did not result in statistically significant changes in any of the parameters evaluated. A trend to a decrease in respiratory rate (P = 0.1) and an increase in the proportion of macrophages (P = 0.1) was observed in the horses receiving the herbal composite compared with placebo. These data indicate a potential for the herbal composite to safely reduce the elevated respiratory rate in horses with RAO. Future research with a greater number of horses is warranted to further characterize the effect of this product on horses with RAO. P P (Traduit par Docteur Serge Messier)
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Publication Date: 2007-05-08 PubMed ID: 17479778PubMed Central: PMC1829186
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  • Journal Article
  • Randomized Controlled Trial
  • Research Support
  • Non-U.S. Gov't

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 is a preliminary study exploring how a specific blend of herbs might help reduce symptoms of recurrent airway obstruction, a serious respiratory issue, in racehorses.

Introduction & Hypothesis

  • The paper begins by defining the importance of the topic. Recurrent airway obstruction (RAO), previously known as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), is a significant health concern in the racing industry as it leads to periods of missed training and illness.
  • The use of herbs for preventing or treating RAO symptoms is becoming more prevalent, despite the lack of in-depth research into their effectiveness and safety.
  • The authors proposed a hypothesis that an herbal mixture consisting of garlic, white horehound, boneset, aniseed, fennel, licorice, thyme, and hyssop could help manage RAO symptoms. They anticipated that the combination would safely diminish RAO manifestations and enhance the lung’s inflammatory cell profile.

Methodology

  • To test their hypothesis, the scientists enlisted six horses with noticeable RAO symptoms and gave them the herbal composite for 21 days in a crossover design.
  • They used ventigraphs to monitor respiratory rate and intrapleural pressure in the horses’ lungs and collect trachea aspirate to determine the proportion of inflammatory cells.
  • They also conducted blood biochemistry and hematologic tests to look for any adverse effects from the herbal treatment.

Results

  • The results showed no statistically significant changes in any of the parameters being observed. However, a trend towards a lower respiratory rate and a higher proportion of macrophages was noticeable in the horses treated with the herbal composite as compared with those given a placebo.

Conclusion and Future Directions

  • The data suggest the herbal composite may have potential in safely reducing the high respiratory rate seen in horses with RAO.
  • However, due to the limited scope of this study, further research involving a larger sample size of horses is needed before coming to any definitive conclusions about the effectiveness of this herbal mixture in treating RAO symptoms.

Cite This Article

APA
Pearson W, Charch A, Brewer D, Clarke AF. (2007). Pilot study investigating the ability of an herbal composite to alleviate clinical signs of respiratory dysfunction in horses with recurrent airway obstruction. Can J Vet Res, 71(2), 145-151.

Publication

Canadian journal of veterinary research = Revue canadienne de recherche veterinaire
ISSN: 0830-9000
NlmUniqueID: 8607793
Country: Canada
Language: English
Volume: 71
Issue: 2
Pages: 145-151

Researcher Affiliations

Pearson, Wendy
  • Department of Biomedical Sciences, Ontario Veterinary College. wpearson@uoguelph.ca
Charch, Armen
    Brewer, Dyanne
      Clarke, Andrew F

        MeSH Terms

        • Animals
        • Blood Chemical Analysis
        • Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid / cytology
        • Cross-Over Studies
        • Female
        • Horse Diseases / drug therapy
        • Horse Diseases / immunology
        • Horse Diseases / prevention & control
        • Horses
        • Lung Diseases, Obstructive / drug therapy
        • Lung Diseases, Obstructive / immunology
        • Lung Diseases, Obstructive / prevention & control
        • Lung Diseases, Obstructive / veterinary
        • Male
        • Phytotherapy / methods
        • Phytotherapy / veterinary
        • Pilot Projects
        • Plant Extracts / adverse effects
        • Plant Extracts / therapeutic use
        • Respiratory Function Tests / methods
        • Respiratory Function Tests / veterinary
        • Safety
        • Spices
        • Trachea / cytology
        • Treatment Outcome

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        Citations

        This article has been cited 2 times.
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