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Scopolamine in racing horses: trace identifications associated with dietary or environmental exposure.
Abstract: Scopolamine (L-hyoscine) identifications, often in small-number clusters, have been reported worldwide in performance horses over the last 30 years. Scopolamine is an Association of Racing Commissioners International (ARCI) class 3, penalty class B, substance with potential to affect performance. As such, scopolamine identification(s) in race or performance horses can result in significant penalties for the connections of the horse(s). Reviewed here is the worldwide distribution of scopolamine containing plants (primarily Datura spp.), with estimates of their potential toxicity to horses through dietary and/or environmental exposure. Also reviewed are the basic pharmacology of scopolamine and its precursor, urinary concentrations following feedstuff exposure, and the probable pharmacological/forensic significance of such findings. Based on an overview of the world literature on scopolamine, the expected characteristics of inadvertent environmental exposure are also presented with a view to making clear the potential of scopolamine identifications, with or without atropine, as a direct and expected outcome of both the worldwide distribution of scopolamine-containing plants and the sensitivity of modern equine drug testing. It is of particular interest that only 2/30 reported post-event equine identifications of scopolamine have been associated with atropine, suggesting that failure to identify atropine is not a biomarker of pharmaceutical administration of scopolamine. Available quantitative information associated with scopolamine identifications is consistent with the 75 ng/mL regulatory threshold for scopolamine currently used in Louisiana racing in the USA and the 30 ng/mL reporting threshold in effect in European racing.
Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Publication Date: 2013-12-14 PubMed ID: 24440440DOI: 10.1016/j.tvjl.2013.12.013Google 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
- Review
Summary
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The study explores the worldwide occurrence of scopolamine in performance horses, which possibly comes from dietary or environmental exposure, and its potential to affect a horse’s performance.
Scopolamine in Racing Horses
The research gives attention to the widespread detection of Scopolamine, a substance that has the potential to affect the performance of horses. The presence of Scopolamine in horses can lead to hefty penalties for those involved with the horse. The study highlights that Scopolamine, often found in small-number clusters, has been noticed in performance horses globally for up to three decades. The substance is classified under ARCI class 3 and penalty class B.
- Scopolamine is generally found in plants, primarily of the Datura species.
- The research discusses the toxicity levels of these plants for horses when there is dietary or environmental exposure.
- It also discusses the basic pharmacology of Scopolamine and its precursor.
Outcome of Inadvertent Exposure
The paper also presents a review of the traits of inadvertent environmental exposure worldwide. It argues that the presence of Scopolamine, with or without atropine, is directly related to the global distribution of Scopolamine-rich plants and the sensitivity of modern drug testing in horses.
- Interestingly, only two in thirty post-match identifications of Scopolamine in horses have been associated with atropine, iterating that the failure to find atropine isn’t necessarily an indicator of the pharmaceutical administration of Scopolamine.
Thresholds in Racing Regulations
The study’s quantitative data relating to Scopolamine identifications seems consistent with the currently mandated regulatory threshold in horse racing, such as the 75 ng/mL threshold in Louisiana, USA, and the 30 ng/mL threshold used in European racing.
- This illustrates the importance of controlling and monitoring the intake or exposure of Scopolamine in horses in order to maintain fairness and safety in horse racing.
Cite This Article
APA
Brewer K, Dirikolu L, Hughes CG, Tobin T.
(2013).
Scopolamine in racing horses: trace identifications associated with dietary or environmental exposure.
Vet J, 199(3), 324-331.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tvjl.2013.12.013 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- 1711 Lakefield North Court, Wellington, FL 33414, USA.
- College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61802, USA.
- The Maxwell H. Gluck Equine Research Center, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40546, USA.
- The Maxwell H. Gluck Equine Research Center, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40546, USA. Electronic address: ttobin@uky.edu.
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Datura / chemistry
- Diet
- Environmental Exposure
- Forensic Toxicology
- Guidelines as Topic
- Horses / metabolism
- Performance-Enhancing Substances / chemistry
- Performance-Enhancing Substances / metabolism
- Performance-Enhancing Substances / toxicity
- Scopolamine / chemistry
- Scopolamine / metabolism
- Scopolamine / toxicity
Citations
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