Integrated Nutraceutical – Nutritional Approaches to Address Equine Leaky Gut Syndrome

Abstract

Many of the nutrients beneficial for intestinal health are present in normal foods, but their normal daily intake may be too low to exert optimum effects on intestinal barrier function and immune status. Evidence from laboratory and farm production animals strongly supports dietary supplementation with additional nutrients and nutraceuticals, however research in horses remains scarce and inconclusive. Careful consideration of the outcome desired for horses in care, together with the types of nutraceuticals available, is needed to develop effective strategies for maintenance of healthy intestinal barrier function and for treatment of various leaky gut syndromes in horses. This review presents these issues in the context of what is known about the effects of nutraceutical-type nutrients on the mammalian (including equine) g.i. tract and intestinal microbiome with the aim of providing suggestions for the equine situation.