Authors: Perricone Vera, Sandrini Silvia, Irshad Nida, Comi Marcello, Lecchi Cristina, Savoini Giovanni, Agazzi Alessandro
Journal: Animals : an open access journal from MDPI
Summary
# Editorial Summary: Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Equine Gut Health Maintaining optimal equine gut health requires a delicate balance of microbial populations and digestive function, both of which can be disrupted by dietary stressors—particularly the high-energy feeds necessary for performance horses. Probiotic yeasts, especially *Saccharomyces cerevisiae*, are widely supplemented to enhance cellulolytic bacterial activity in the hindgut and improve fibre digestion; however, published research on their efficacy shows conflicting results. Perricone and colleagues conducted a comprehensive review of the evidence examining how *S. cerevisiae* affects both in vivo and in vitro digestibility, alongside its influence on intestinal and faecal microbial populations in horses. The inconsistency in findings across digestibility trials and microbial studies highlights the need for standardised protocols and investigation into the factors (such as yeast strain, dose, duration of supplementation, and baseline diet composition) that may explain variable outcomes in individual horses. For equine professionals formulating nutrition programmes or recommending supplements, this review underscores that whilst *S. cerevisiae* shows promise in supporting hindgut function, practitioners should critically evaluate the evidence for specific products and monitor individual responses rather than assuming universal benefit across all horses and feeding situations.
Read the full abstract on PubMed
Practical Takeaways
- •While S. cerevisiae is widely used for supporting equine digestive health, inconsistent research findings mean results may vary between horses and feeding situations
- •Probiotic yeast supplementation may be most beneficial when horses are under dietary stress (high-grain diets, poor forage quality, or intense work demands)
- •Monitor individual horse responses to S. cerevisiae supplementation through body condition, manure consistency, and performance rather than assuming universal benefit
Key Findings
- •S. cerevisiae is the most commonly used probiotic yeast in equine nutrition to support cellulolytic bacteria and fiber digestion
- •Results on digestibility effects and microbial population changes from S. cerevisiae supplementation are contradictory across studies
- •Feed additives including probiotic yeasts can support digestive function and intestinal microbial balance when diet stressors are present
- •High energy-dense diets in performance horses are a significant stressor to gut health requiring targeted nutritional interventions