Probiotic supplementation in trained trotter horses: effect on blood clinical pathology data and urine metabolomic assessed in field

Abstract

The attention of sports community toward probiotic supplementation as a way to promote exercise and training performance, together with good health, has increased in recent years. This has applied also to horses, with promising results. Here, for the first time, we tested a probiotic mix of several strains of live bacteria typically employed for humans to improve the training performance of Standardbred horses in athletic activity. To evaluate its effects on the horse performance, we measured lactate concentration in blood, a translational outcome largely employed for the purpose, combined with the study of hematological and biochemical parameters, together with urine from a metabolomics perspective. The results showed that the probiotic supplementation significantly reduced postexercise blood lactate concentration. The hematological and biochemical parameters, together with urine molecular profile, suggested that a likely mechanism underlying this positive effect was connected to a switch of energy source in muscle from carbohydrates to short-chain fatty acids. Three sulfur-containing molecules differently concentrated in urines in connection to probiotics administration suggested that such switch was linked to sulfur metabolism.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Probiotic supplementation could reduce postexercise blood lactate concentration in Standardbred horses in athletic activity. Blood parameters, together with urine molecular profile, suggest the mechanism underlying this positive effect is connected to a switch of energy source in muscle from carbohydrates to short-chain fatty acids. Sulfur-containing molecules found in urines in connection to probiotics administration suggested that such switch was linked to sulfur metabolism.

First Insights into the Urinary Metabolome of Captive Giraffes by Proton Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy

“…Studies carried out by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC/MS) or by proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy ( 1 H-NMR) on humans and other animals suggest that the giraffe's urinary metabolome may be particularly informative about the general health of the animal. In horse urine, molecules revealing the action of the intestinal microbiota were found in micromolar concentrations [11,12]. Molecular patterns of the urinary metabolome linked to inflammatory processes have been identified in humans [13].…”

Psyllium supplementation is associated with changes in the fecal microbiota of horses

“…Commensal microbes can promote a healthy GIT and reduce the ability of pathogenic organisms to colonize [ 7 ]. While probiotics have been shown to have positive effects on GIT health and performance [ 8 – 10 ], it has yet to be determined how psyllium affects equine GIT microbes. Constipated humans supplemented with psyllium demonstrated increased stool water and significant changes in fecal microbial populations [ 11 ].…”

Respiratory metabolites in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and exhaled breath condensate (EBC) can differentiate horses affected by severe equine asthma from healthy horses

“…Metabolic dysfunctions in chronic lung diseases such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and cystic fibrosis have been ascertained [2][3][4][5][6], and clinicians are now using metabolomics in the diagnostic and prognostic approach other than in clinical research [2]. This new approach also shows a great potential in veterinary medicine [7][8][9], and untargeted metabolomics is often applied to improve knowledge and speculate novel hypothesis in human and veterinary lung research [10,11].…”