Water- and Ethanol-Soluble Carbohydrates of Temperate Grass Pastures: a Review of Factors Affecting Concentration and Composition.

This research investigates certain factors that influence the concentration and composition of water-soluble and ethanol-soluble carbohydrates in grasses of temperate regions. These carbohydrates, which include compounds like glucose, fructose, and fructans, play a role in various metabolic disorders in horses.

Introduction

• The study provides a comprehensive review of the water-soluble carbohydrates (WSCs) and ethanol-soluble carbohydrates (ESCs) present in temperate grasses.
• These carbohydrates like glucose, fructose, sucrose, and fructans are crucial to understand as they can contribute to health issues in animals, especially equine pasture-associated laminitis. Laminitis is a painful condition affecting horse’s feet.

Concentration and Composition Influencers

• The review highlights various factors influencing the concentrations of these carbohydrates. For instance, weather conditions like cooler temperatures or cooler seasons tend to increase WSC concentrations.
• Additionally, the time of day, the grass cultivar being grown, the frequency of cutting or defoliation, nitrogen application, and water stress can all affect carbohydrate concentrations and compositions. It emphasizes that different cultivars, i.e., varieties of grass, can yield different results of WSC concentrations.
• Nitrogen application can both increase or decrease these concentrations, depending on the amount applied and the grass type. Similarly, water stress causes varied effects on WSCs.

Conclusion

• The research cautions the need for consideration of multiple factors before making assumptions about how certain factors might affect these carbohydrates.
• Such understanding is critical in preventing and managing health problems in animals that graze on these grasses.

Overall, this review establishes the importance of understanding the influence of different factors on the concentration and compositions of WSCs and ESCs for effective pasture management.