Seventy day safety assessment of an orally ingested, l-glutamine-containing oat and yeast supplement for horses.

The research document chronicles a study that determined the safety of orally giving a supplement containing l-glutamine, oats, and yeast to horses, and it was affirmed that the said supplement was safe and caused no health issues.

Research Design and Subjects

• The study employed a randomized control trial design, with young horses (aged 1-2 years) as participants. The horses were divided into two groups – the control group (n=7) and the treatment group (n=7).

Treatment Administered

• The supplement, consisting of l-threonine and l-glutamine amino acids, polar lipids, an oat bran enriched in beta glucans, and yeast extract was daily administered to the horses in the treatment group over an 8-week time-span.

Research Methodology

• Following the 8-week supplementation period, an additional week was dedicated to observing the horses, making the total study duration 9 weeks.
• Throughout the course of the research, various measures were observed and evaluated – body mass of the horses, weight increment, clinical examination results, hematology, and plasma chemistry.

Results and Conclusions

• The study reported no adverse occurrences linked to the supplementation. Both groups of horses demonstrated normal weight gain, clinical signs, and hematology and chemistry.
• l-Glutamine – a component of the supplement which is not officially certified as Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS) was examined for its probable nutritional value and safety when ingested orally.
• The study therefore concluded that when administered orally to horses at double the recommended daily dose, the supplement was safe, posing no health risk, especially when used following recommended feeding practices.