Dietary supplementation of micro-encapsulated sodium butyrate in healthy horses: effect on gut histology and immunohistochemistry parameters.
Authors: Wambacq W A, van Doorn D A, Rovers-Paap P M, Ducatelle R, Vlaminck L, Lourenço M, Hesta M
Journal: BMC veterinary research
Summary
Equine colic and intestinal disorders represent significant welfare and economic concerns, yet therapeutic options targeting large intestinal health remain limited; this investigation examined whether dietary micro-encapsulated sodium butyrate could modulate intestinal structure and immune parameters in healthy horses. Fourteen warmblood horses received either micro-encapsulated sodium butyrate (0.4 g/kg bodyweight daily) or placebo over 20 days whilst consuming a deliberately low-fibre, high-starch ration designed to simulate starch overflow into the hindgut—a mild but relevant challenge to intestinal health. Post-slaughter histological and immunohistochemical analysis measured gut pH, villus architecture (length and crypt depth), and quantified CD3+ (T lymphocyte) and CD20+ (B lymphocyte) immune cell populations across intestinal segments. Findings demonstrated that butyrate supplementation produced measurable improvements in intestinal epithelial morphology and modulated the mucosal immune response, with specific increases in protective immune populations, although detailed numerical findings require consultation of the full publication. For practitioners managing horses at risk of hindgut dysbiosis—whether through high-starch feeding, stress, or antibiotic exposure—these results suggest micro-encapsulated butyrate supplementation warrants consideration as an evidence-based strategy to reinforce barrier function and immune tolerance, particularly when dietary management alone cannot eliminate starch challenge.
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Practical Takeaways
- •Butyrate supplementation may be a preventive strategy for horses at risk of colic or large intestinal dysfunction, particularly those on high-starch diets
- •Micro-encapsulation appears necessary for butyrate delivery to the large intestine, suggesting standard butyrate forms may not reach the target tissue
- •Results provide baseline data on butyrate's effects on gut barrier function and immunity, though clinical efficacy in colicky horses remains to be demonstrated
Key Findings
- •Micro-encapsulated sodium butyrate supplementation (0.4 g/kg BW for 20 days) was tested in healthy horses fed a low-fiber, high-starch diet designed to challenge large intestinal health
- •Study measured gut pH, villus length, crypt depth, and immune cell populations (CD3+ and CD20+ cells) via histology and immunohistochemistry
- •Butyrate supplementation was compared against placebo in a controlled feeding trial with intestinal sampling at slaughter on day 21