How nutrigenomics impacts equine health - A case study of vitamin E.
Authors: Finno C J
Journal: Journal of equine veterinary science
Summary
# Editorial Summary Nutrigenomics—the study of how nutrients interact with an individual's genetic profile—offers a framework for understanding why horses respond so variably to vitamin E supplementation, with some animals achieving adequate serum concentrations on minimal intake whilst others require substantially higher doses. Finno's review synthesises evidence from human medicine and equine conditions like HYPP and PSSM1, where diet-gene interactions already guide clinical management, to argue that similar personalised approaches could optimise vitamin E status in individual horses. The research identifies over 200 genetic variants in and around vitamin E-related genes in equine populations, yet notes that whilst dietary factors (food matrix, fat content) are known to influence absorption efficiency, the specific genetic polymorphisms affecting vitamin E uptake, distribution and metabolism in horses remain largely unevaluated. For farriers, vets and nutritionists, this work suggests that blanket supplementation protocols may be inefficient; future genetic profiling could enable targeted recommendations based on individual absorption phenotypes rather than standardised dosing. Until such testing becomes available, practitioners should remain alert to serum vitamin E variability across apparently similar horses and consider that genetic differences—not just feed composition or management—may explain why some horses plateau at low concentrations despite adequate supplementation.
Read the full abstract on PubMed
Practical Takeaways
- •Recognize that vitamin E supplementation needs vary widely between individual horses—some may require significantly higher doses than others to achieve therapeutic serum concentrations, and genetic profiling may eventually help predict individual requirements.
- •Consider that dietary factors beyond supplementation amount (food matrix, other nutrient composition) influence vitamin E absorption efficiency in horses, as seen in human medicine.
- •Anticipate future availability of genetic testing for vitamin E response variants, which could enable truly personalized nutrition protocols rather than one-size-fits-all supplementation recommendations.
Key Findings
- •Nutrigenomics demonstrates that individual horses show highly variable responses to vitamin E supplementation, with some achieving high serum concentrations on minimal intake while others require high doses to maintain normal ranges.
- •Over 200 genetic variants have been identified in and surrounding vitamin E candidate genes in horses, suggesting substantial genetic basis for vitamin E response variation.
- •Vitamin E absorption efficiency in horses is influenced by diet, similar to humans, but genetic polymorphisms affecting vitamin E intake, distribution and metabolism have not yet been evaluated in equine populations.
- •Personalized nutrition based on genetic profiling could optimize dietary management for horses with nutrient-responsive conditions such as HYPP and PSSM1.