Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-g7gxr Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-02T23:45:26.119Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Feeding grape seed extract to horses: effects on health, intake and digestion

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 March 2009

J. A. Davies
Affiliation:
School of Agriculture and Environment, Curtin University of Technology, PMB 1, Northam 6401, Western Australia, Australia
G. L. Krebs*
Affiliation:
School of Agriculture and Environment, Curtin University of Technology, PMB 1, Northam 6401, Western Australia, Australia
A. Barnes
Affiliation:
School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, Murdoch University, Murdoch 6150, Western Australia, Australia
I. Pant
Affiliation:
Tarac Technologies, PO Box 78, Nuriootpa 5355, South Australia, Australia
P. J. McGrath
Affiliation:
Bakers Hill Veterinary Clinic, Great Eastern Hwy, Bakers Hill 6562, Western Australia, Australia
Get access

Abstract

A feeding trial involving four Thoroughbred race horses was undertaken to establish whether inclusion of grape seed extract (GSE) in the diet of horses undergoing mild exercise had any effects on their general health, intake and digestion. Supplementation with GSE had no effect on either feed or water intake of the horses and the supplement was readily palatable to the horses at all levels of inclusion. Feeding GSE caused no adverse effects in terms of animal health (temperature, pulse and respirations rates), and there were some positive effects related to a presumed alteration in fermentation in the hindgut. Feeding GSE increased faecal pH, changing from acid faeces (pH 6.6) when no GSE was fed to neutral faeces (pH 7.0) when 150 mg GSE/kg body weight (BW) was fed. In addition, blood glucose concentrations were significantly (P < 0.05) decreased when GSE was fed at 100 and 150 mg/kg BW (5.50 ± 0.26 and 5.32 ± 0.72 mmol/l, respectively) compared with the control diet (5.77 ± 0.31 mmol/l). The actual mechanisms causing these alterations are yet to be elucidated, but could have important implications for the prevention of acidosis.

Type
Full Paper
Copyright
Copyright © The Animal Consortium 2008

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Al Jassim, RA, Scott, PT, Trebbin, AL, Trott, DJ, Pollitt, CC 2005. The genetic diversity of lactic acid producing bacteria in the equine gastrointestinal tract. FEMS Microbiology Letters 248, 7581.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bailey, SR, Baillon, ML, Rycroft, AN, Harris, PA, Elliott, J 2003. Identification of equine cecal bacteria producing amines in an in vitro model of carbohydrate overload. Applied and Environmental Microbiology 69, 20872093.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Balu, M, Sangeetha, P, Muralia, G, Panneerselvam, C 2005. Modulatory role of grape seed extract on age related oxidative DNA damage in central nervous system of rats. Brain Research Bulletin 68, 469473.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Baydar, NG, Sagdic, O, Ozkan, G, Cetin, S 2006. Determination of antibacterial effects and total phenolic contents of grape (Vitis vinifera L.) seed extracts. International Journal of Food Science and Technology 41, 799804.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
de Fombelle, A, Jacotot, E, Drogoul, C, Bonnefoy, T and Juilland, V 1999. Effect of the hay : grain ratio on the digestive physiology and microbial ecosystem in ponies. In Equine nutrition and physiology society symposium, vol. 16, pp. 176–179. Lexington, Kentucky.Google Scholar
Evans, DL 2000. Training and fitness in athletic horses. Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation, Canberra.Google Scholar
Fuleki, T, Ricardo da Silva, JM 1997. Catachin and procyanidin composition of seeds from grape cultivars grown in Ontario. Journal of Science of Food and Agriculture 45, 11561160.Google Scholar
Gontheir, MP, Dovoan, JL, Texier, O, Felgines, C, Remesy, C, Scalbert, A 2003. Metabolism of dietary procyanidins in rats. Free Radical Biology and Medicine 35, 837844.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gupta, RK, Haslam, E 1980. Vegetable tannins structure and biosynthesis. In Polyphenols in cereals and legumes (ed. JH Hulse), pp. 1524. IDRC, Ottawa.Google Scholar
Iwasaki, Y, Matsui, T, Arakawa, Y 2004. The protective and hormonal effects of proanthocyanidin against gastric mucosal injury in Wistar rats. Journal of Gastroenterology 39, 831837.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Jansman, AJM 1993. Tannins in feedstuffs for simple-stomached animals. Nutrition Research Reviews 6, 209236.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Jayaprakasha, GK, Selvi, T, Sakariah, KK 2003. Antibacterial antioxidant activities of grape (Vitis vinifera) seed extracts. Food Research International 36, 117122.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
King, C 1994. Practical use of urinary fractional excretion. Journal of Equine Veterinary Science 14, 4648.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Marlin, D, Nankervis, K 2002. Equine exercise physiology. Blackwell Science, Great Britain.Google Scholar
Milinovich, GJ, Trott, DJ, Burrell, PC, van Eps, AW, Thoefner, MB, Blackall, LL, Al Jassim, RAM, Morton, JM, Pollitt, CC 2006. Changes in equine hindgut bacterial populations during oligofructose-induced laminitis. Environmental Microbiology 8, 885898.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Mittal, A, Elmets, CA, Katiyar, SK 2003. Dietary feeding of proanthocyanidins from grape seed prevents photocarcinogenesis in SKH-1 hairless mice: relationship to decreased fat and lipid peroxidation. Carcinogenesis 24, 13791388.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Moreno, DA, Nebojsa, I, Poulev, A, Brasaemle, DL, Fried, SK, Raskin, I 2003. Inhibitory effects of grape seed extract on lipases. Nutrition 19, 876879.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Mungall, BA, Kyaw-Tanner, M, Pollitt, CC 2001. In vitro evidence of a bacterial pathogenesis of equine laminitis. Veterinary Microbiology 79, 209223.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
National Research Council (NRC) 2007. Nutrient requirements of horses, 6th edition.National Academy Press, Washington, DC.Google Scholar
Nicol, CJ, Davidson, HP, Harris, PA, Waters, AJ, Wilson, AD 2002. Study of crib-biting and gastric inflammation and ulceration in young horses. Veterinary Record 151, 658662.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Palma, M, Taylor, LT 1999. Extraction of polyphenolic compounds from grape seeds near critical carbon dioxide. Journal of Chromatography 849, 117124.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Pillner, S, Davies, Z 2000. Getting horses fit, 3rd edition.Blackwell Science, Oxford.Google Scholar
Pinent, M, Blay, M, Blade, MC, Salvado, MJ, Arola, L, Ardevol, A 2004. Grape seed-derived procyanidins have an antihyperglycemic effect in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats and insulinomimetic activity in insulin-sensitive cell lines. Endocrinology 145, 49854990.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Reed, JD 1995. Nutritional toxicology of tannins and related polyphenols in forage legumes. Journal of Animal Science 73, 15161528.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Rowe, JB, Lees, MJ, Pethick, DW 1994. Prevention of acidosis and laminitis associated with grain feeding in horses. Journal of Nutrition 124, 2742S2744S.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Rowe, JB, Pethick, DW, Johnson, KG 1995. Controlling acidosis in the equine hindgut. In Recent advances in animal nutrition in Australia (ed. JL Corbet), pp. 136142. University of New England, Armidale, New South Wales.Google Scholar
Vogel, N, Nijs, IMT, Westerterp-Plantengaa, MS 2004. The effect of grape seed extract on 24 h energy intake in humans. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition 58, 667673.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wren, AF, Cleary, M, Frantz, C, Melton, S, Norris, L 2002. 90-Day oral toxicity of a grape seed extract (IH636) in rats. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 50, 21802192.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Yamakoshi, J, Saito, M, Kataoka, S, Kikuchi, M 2002. Safety evaluation of proanthocyanidins-rich extract from grape seeds. Food and Chemical Toxicology 40, 599607.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Zeyner, A, Geissler, C, Kaske, H and Fuchs, R 1992. Untersuchungen zur Beurteilung der Futtererration mittels Kotwasseranalyse (Wasser, pH, org. Säuren), pp. 88–91. In Europaische Konferenz uber die Ernahrung des Pferdes, Hanover.Google Scholar