Oral supplementation with Lithothamnion extract in horses subjected to oligofructose overload intake: effects on systemic inflammation and multiple organ function.
Authors: Cota Letícia O, Júnior Odael S, Oliveira Alvaro P L, Paz Cahuê F R, Maróstica Thairê P, Duarte Patrícia C, Leme Fabiola O P, Faleiros Rafael R
Journal: Journal of equine veterinary science
Summary
Systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) poses a significant clinical challenge in equine practice, particularly when triggered by gastrointestinal insults such as oligofructose overload, which can cascade into multi-organ dysfunction and potentially fatal outcomes if left unmanaged. Researchers administered Lithothamnion extract (100 mg/kg twice daily for 7 days pre-treatment) to twelve horses, then induced oligofructose overload in both treated and control groups, measuring inflammatory markers and organ function parameters at regular intervals over 24 hours. Whilst both groups developed systemic inflammation and organ changes, the treated cohort demonstrated substantially milder and delayed responses: the supplement attenuated tachycardia, tachypnea, leukocytosis, and abnormal glucose metabolism, and critically, prevented elevations in liver enzymes (AST, ALT, GGT), bilirubin fractions, and creatinine that occurred in untreated controls. For practitioners managing horses at risk of colic or other gastrointestinal challenges, pre-emptive Lithothamnion supplementation may represent a practical intervention to blunt the inflammatory cascade and preserve organ function during acute disease episodes. The findings warrant further investigation into optimal dosing protocols and clinical efficacy in naturally occurring gastrointestinal disorders, though the biomodulatory profile suggests potential value in evidence-based prevention strategies.
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Practical Takeaways
- •Lithothamnion supplementation may help prevent or reduce the severity of SIRS and organ damage in horses at risk of gastrointestinal upset from high grain intake or oligofructose exposure
- •Consider pre-treatment with Lithothamnion (100 mg/kg twice daily for one week) before periods of dietary risk to mitigate inflammatory cascades and multiple organ dysfunction
- •This supplement approach may reduce clinical signs of systemic illness (elevated heart rate, respiratory rate, fever) and laboratory markers of organ damage in at-risk horses
Key Findings
- •Lithothamnion supplementation (100 mg/kg BID for 7 days) attenuated and delayed tachycardia, tachypnea, and leukocytosis in horses undergoing oligofructose overload
- •Treated horses showed no increases in packed cell volume, liver enzymes (AST, ALT, GGT), bilirubin, or creatinine, while control horses demonstrated significant elevations in these markers
- •Systemic inflammation and organ dysfunction occurred in both groups but were milder and delayed in the Lithothamnion-treated group
- •Supplementation reduced hyperproteinemia, hyperbilirubinemia, hyperalbuminemia, and hyperglycemia compared to untreated controls