Temporal folate status during lactation in mares and growth in foals.

This research article investigates the fluctuations in folate levels in mares and their foals over a six-month period of lactation and growth respectively, and concludes that there is no need for additional folate supplementation under normal conditions.

Objective and Methods

• The researchers sought to study the changes in folate status in both lactating mares and growing foals.
• Twenty Thoroughbred mares and their foals were subjected to the study, during pregnancy and up to six months post-foaling.
• The mares were fed either a traditional dietary supplement rich in sugar and starch (SS) or a dietary supplement high in fat and fiber (FF).
• Blood samples were collected monthly, and the total folate concentration in feed and forage was determined. Plasma and RBC (red blood cell) folate, plasma homocysteine (HCY), and milk folate concentrations were analyzed.

Findings

• The plasma folate concentrations in mares moderately decreased during the six months of lactation.
• The RBC folate concentrations in the mares initially spiked after foaling and till three months but declined towards the end of the study.
• Mares that were fed the SS supplement showed higher levels of plasma HCY concentration compared to those that were fed the FF supplement.
• The concentration of folate in the mare’s milk decreased in the first three months but saw an increase thereafter. The foal’s plasma folate mirrored this trend, initially declining and then increasing.
• Unlike for plasma HCY concentration levels, which remained stable in the foals during the last five months of the study, the RBC folate concentrations remained constant through the entire period.

Conclusion

• The overall findings suggested that the folate status in lactating mares and growing foals was not compromised, suggesting that there is no need for additional folate supplementation, given that the conditions remain similar to those of the study.