Racehorses' gut flora changed by prebiotics
Gut bacteria communicate with the immune system and the brain, and are important for gastrointestinal health and gut wall function. Although products to support the horse's gut flora are available on the market, their effect has rarely been scientifically investigated.
Prebiotics are plant fiber-based products designed to promote the growth of good bacteria in the gut.
This study included results from 22 racehorses in active training that were randomly assigned either to receive the supplement or to be controls. After 12 weeks, the bacterial composition of the gut flora was evaluated according to specific criteria set at the beginning of the study.
The gut flora composition of the supplemented horses showed a significant change towards being more similar to that reported for healthy grazing horses than to that of horses with colitis. For example, there was an increase in the Firmicutes bacterial strain and a decrease in the Bacteroidetes strain.
The study shows the effect of the supplement and indicates that racehorses may have an unbalanced gut flora, which could affect their health. Future studies could use these results to investigate, for example, the relationship between gut microbiota and racehorse performance and health.
The study was funded by Paddocks Farm Partnership Ltd, which had no role in the study design, data collection, analysis or presentation of the results.
Link to the publication
https://doi.org/10.3390/vetsci10010027
Reference
Adams, V.J.; LeBlanc, N.; Penell, J. Results of a Clinical Trial Showing Changes to the Faecal Microbiome in Racing Thoroughbreds after Feeding a Nutritional Supplement. Vet. Sci. 2023, 10, 27.
Contact
-
Person