Authors: Lucassen Alexandra, Finkler-Schade Christa, Schuberth Hans-Joachim
Journal: Animals : an open access journal from MDPI
Summary
# Editorial Summary: Saccharomyces cerevisiae fermentation products and equine influenza vaccine response Fermentation-derived yeast products are increasingly used in equine nutrition to support immune function, yet evidence supporting their efficacy around vaccination protocols remains limited. Lucassen and colleagues investigated whether supplementing horses with Olimond BB (a Saccharomyces cerevisiae fermentation product) for 56 days would alter the early immune response to influenza vaccination, comparing six supplemented horses against five placebo controls. Within 24 hours of vaccination, both groups mounted elevated total leukocyte and CD4+ T-cell counts; however, the supplemented group showed preserved CD8+ T-cell numbers and a significant reticulocyte increase, whilst controls displayed reduced CD8+ populations and elevated neutrophil counts—a pattern suggesting differential immune cell trafficking or survival. At 16 days post-vaccination, supplemented horses demonstrated significantly enhanced IgG antibody titres against both Newmarket and Florida Clade 1 influenza strains compared to placebo animals. These findings suggest that yeast-derived supplements may modulate early innate immune activation whilst supporting adaptive antibody responses to vaccination, with potential implications for booster vaccination scheduling and overall protection efficacy—though practitioners should note the small sample size and await larger confirmatory studies before implementing supplementation protocols specifically around vaccine administration.
Read the full abstract on PubMed
Practical Takeaways
- •Olimond BB supplementation may enhance antibody responses to influenza vaccination in horses, potentially improving vaccine efficacy
- •Feed-based immunomodulation offers a practical, non-invasive strategy to optimize vaccine response timing and magnitude in vaccinated horses
- •Consider pre-vaccination supplementation protocols (56 days) when aiming to maximize protective immunity, particularly for competition or high-risk horses
Key Findings
- •Olimond BB supplementation modulated neutrophil granulocyte and CD8+ T-cell responses 24 hours post-vaccination compared to placebo controls
- •Only Olimond BB-fed horses showed significant reticulocyte percentage increases after vaccination
- •Olimond BB horses demonstrated significantly enhanced ELISA IgG titres against Newmarket and Florida Clade 1 influenza strains 16 days post-vaccination
- •Both groups showed increased total leukocytes and CD4+ T-cells at 24 hours post-vaccination, with no differences in lymphocytes, monocytes, or B-cell populations between groups