Diet modulates strongyle infection and microbiota in the large intestine of horses.
Authors: Laroche Noémie, Grimm Pauline, Julliand Samy, Sorci Gabriele
Journal: PloS one
Summary
# Editorial Summary: Diet and Strongyle Infection in Horses Natural strongyle infection in horses is exacerbated by high-starch feeding, with animals on such diets producing significantly more eggs in their faeces, whilst the addition of sainfoin (a polyphenol-rich legume) to high-starch diets reduced egg excretion and larval motility regardless of base diet composition. Researchers compared horses naturally infected with strongyles fed either high-fibre or high-starch diets, with or without sainfoin supplementation, measuring faecal egg counts, larval viability, faecal microbiota composition, and immune markers. High-starch feeding narrowed fecal bacterial diversity and altered microbiota structure, lowered faecal pH and blood acetate levels, and reduced haematocrit, yet systemic immune markers (Th1/Th2 cytokines, white blood cell proportions) remained unchanged—suggesting the protective mechanism operates primarily through local microbiota modulation rather than systemic immunity. The findings indicate that practitioners can reduce parasite burden through dietary management alone: maintaining high-forage diets whilst considering sainfoin supplementation offers a practical, non-pharmacological complement to anthelmintic strategies, particularly valuable where drug-resistant strongyles are emerging. These results support a shift in parasite management philosophy from relying solely on chemical control towards ecological manipulation of the equine hindgut environment.
Read the full abstract on PubMed
Practical Takeaways
- •Feeding high-fiber diets may help naturally reduce strongyle burden compared to high-starch diets, offering a practical dietary management strategy
- •Sainfoin supplementation shows promise as a direct anthelmintic aid, particularly valuable for reducing parasite egg shedding without relying solely on chemical drenches
- •Dietary interventions that maintain healthy microbiota and fecal pH may be as important as immune function for parasite resistance in horses
Key Findings
- •High-starch diet increased strongyle egg excretion compared to high-fiber diet
- •Sainfoin supplementation reduced egg excretion in high-starch diet and decreased larval motility regardless of diet type
- •High-starch diet reduced fecal bacterial diversity, lowered fecal pH, and decreased blood acetate levels compared to high-fiber diet
- •Immune markers (Th1/Th2 cytokines, white blood cells) did not differ between diets, suggesting microbiota modulation is the primary mechanism