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  Discussion on Research Summary: Live Yeast Supplementation Found Beneficial
Author Message
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Sunday, Oct 7, 2007 - 12:15 pm:

Following our last piece of published research, here is a result that comes to a different conclusion: it found improved digestibility of the cellulose portion of the diet in horses supplemented with 10 grams daily (split into two feedings) of a live yeast formulation containing 4.5 billion colony forming units (cfu's) per gram. This would be a daily dose of 45 billion cfu's daily. The supplement also seemed to stimulate appetite. Of course in a time where the biggest problem in horses in obesity this would be a mixed blessing but for those with difficult keepers it may provide a needed boost.
DrO

J Anim Sci. 2007 Oct 2;
Effect of live yeast culture supplementation on apparent digestibility and rate of passage in horses fed a high-fiber or high-starch diet.

Jouany JP, Gobert J, Medina B, Bertin G, Julliand V.

INRA, UR1213 Herbivores, Site de Theix, 63122 Saint Genes Champanelle.

Eight crossbred male horses aged 12 +/- 5 years and weighing 305 +/- 18 kg were used in pairs in a 4 x 4 Latin square design with 4 ground and pelleted diets. Each pair included a cecum and right-ventral colon-fistulated animal and a cecal-fistulated animal. The 4 horse diets were: a high-fiber diet (HF+0), based on dehydrated alfalfa, a high-starch diet based on barley and wheat bran (HS+0), and either the HF or HS diet supplemented with Saccharomyces cerevisiae (SC) CBS 493.94 (HF+SC and HS+SC). The probiotic preparation contained 4.5 x 10(9) cfu.g(-1) of live yeast mixed with the culture medium, and was top-dressed on to feed pellets at a rate of 10 g.d(-1), equally distributed between the 2 daily meals. All 4 diets were offered in the same quantities [18.0 g of pelleted feed DM + 3.5 g of long wheat straw.kg BW(-1).d(-1)]. Each of the 4 experimental treatments was divided into a 21-d period of diet adaptation followed by a 10-d period of total fecal collection for digesta flow rate and apparent digestibility measurements. Three markers were used to measure mean retention time (MRT) of feed particles: Yb bound to the pelleted feeds for MRT in the whole digestive tract (MRTYb), Eu bound to the pelleted feeds, and Dy bound to the fecal particles for MRT in the hindgut (MRTEu and MRTDy). Apparent digestibilities of DM, OM, and CP were greater (P < 0.001) in the HS than HF diet, independently of SC supplementation; whereas, ADF digestibility was greatest in the HF diet (P = 0.035). Cellulolytic activity estimated through the in vitro disappearance rate of dietary ADF fraction (IVADADF) was lesser (P < 0.001) in the HS than HF diet. There was no dietary effect on NDF digestibility due to the longer MRTEu of small particles in the hindgut (P = 0.036), which compensated for the lower fibrolytic activity expressed per unit of time in HS compared to HF diet. SC supplementation improved ADF digestibility (P = 0.038) and stimulated DM (P = 0.030) and NDF (P = 0.038) intakes, but had no effect on the MRT of solid digesta. The absence of any significant diet x SC interaction supports the strategy of using SC to stimulate cellulose digestion and improve the nutritional status of horses under both HF and HS diets.
Member:
hwood

Posted on Sunday, Oct 7, 2007 - 12:58 pm:

Dr. O.,
Do the pro/pre-biotic supplements state "cfu"s on the labels or is there another measurement that we should consider? If so, how does it compare? I may be include a probiotic in my pony's diet, but don't want to waste money on one that doesn't provide the maximum amount per recommended measurement.
Thank you.
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Monday, Oct 8, 2007 - 7:41 am:

I do not know of any other measure of live organism content placed on nutraceuticals and any product that is designed as a live yeast probiotic should contain the cfu's. I would be very suspicious of anything that just says "contain live cultures". As that really has no meaning.
DrO
Member:
babychop

Posted on Wednesday, Feb 22, 2012 - 10:58 pm:

You bring up more questions for me Dr O, all of these yeast based supplements, Succeed, Forco, etc. claim they help balance the hind gut bacterial environment and help absorption of food so it's better implemented (not exact words but they all claim pretty much the same thing). Is it all just a bunch of crap?

As far as protein (aside from a mix of alfalfa, 3way and bermuda), I do feed LMF / Triple Crown Complete or TizWhiz Broodmare + triple cleaned oats depending on the horse, haven't added the soybean meal except on a few occasions in some time but the protein angle is good to know. They're all on Platinum Performance Wellness & Cocosoya oil, plus my older mare gets Mushroom Matrix to help keep teeth in her head.

Though you do bring to mind a TB mare I leased out for ET (she's 5): she came back really skinny, I added Platinum Performance Healthy Weight along with the Wellness to her diet after extra feed wasn't putting the weight on her. It got her back to a good healthy weight after a few months of it. I also power packed her just to be sure it wasn't a parasitic issue. (not to hijack the string but the yeast based hind gut supplements have been highly recommended by several equine nutritionists and along with everything else their coats and hooves have gotten better so I'm not sure what to think now ).

I searched for 'yeast based supplements' and came up with this string Dr O I hope that's okay, didn't find anything directly for yeast based / probiotics could be my search skills and/or memory of a goldfish (about 3 seconds). Anyway, this is from the other string. Is there anything to suggest that the yeast supplements stave off colic by keeping the hind gut healthier? My older mare had a horrible penchant for it until I put her on them and hasn't had an episode since in several years.
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Saturday, Feb 25, 2012 - 6:50 pm:

Delighted that your horse is doing much better and would not recommend you change anything but from a scientific standpoint the effects of these products remains largely uncertain and currently don't have know of any horses personally that require such a supplement to stay healthy.
DrO
Member:
cmatexas

Posted on Tuesday, Feb 28, 2012 - 4:16 pm:

Am I reading it correctly in that the probiotics increase absorption of forage (i.e. alfalfa, hay, beet pulp, etc.), but have less effect on non-forage (i.e. pelleted feed, grains, etc.)?

What about fat absorption?
Member:
stek

Posted on Tuesday, Feb 28, 2012 - 6:23 pm:

From what I've read, PRObiotics are supposed to increase the number and/or type of 'good bacteria' in the hindgut. They must be live organisms to be effective. They are sometimes recommended after a course of antibiotics to bring back what the antibiotics have killed off.

PREbiotics are supposed to provide food to help the bacteria thrive and keep the gut healthy on the long term. They are indigestible except to the bacteria in the gut, and are actually found in grains, though the supplements containing them seem to be made from dead fermented yeast cells.

I am going out on a limb here but I assume that since horses are hind-gut fermenters of forage, a healthy colony of bacteria in the hindgut would help them to be more efficient processors of forage?

I'm curious about fat absorption too, no idea there.
Member:
babychop

Posted on Tuesday, Feb 28, 2012 - 7:20 pm:

Well, that seems to be the theory, that the yeast based supplements are to keep the healthy colonies of bacteria in the hind gut at their peak performance and health which in turn absorb and process the forage more effectively.

You make a good point about antibiotics - they do kill off everything, I often wonder about wormings as well, since they kill off so much bad stuff I wonder how much good stuff they kill off as well and what do to do replace the good.

My personal experience with the yeast based supplements has been outstanding as in no more episodes of colic, healthier coats and hooves. I was just wondering why or if it was something else. Apparently the jury is still out but I am so pleased with them I will stay with the program.
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