Stress ossidativo e benessere equino

Abstract

Stress ossidativo - Benessere equino

Oxidative stress plays an important role in the development of many horse diseases and it has been shown that housing has important implications for the psychophysical well- being of horses. The aim of this study is to determine if there are any differences between the redox state in horses in relation to housing conditions. The four housing conditions analysed were: single box, without external access and without contact (cat A), single box with external access and possibility of partial contact (Cat B), group housing with box and large paddock (Cat C), pasture with more than 7 horses and the possibility of green forage for the whole year (Cat D). Horses were selected in several stables in Northern Italy. Only healthy subjects who had been living in that housing condition for at least 6 months were enrolled. All subjects treated with any type of drug were excluded. At the end of the sampling 117 horses divided into the various categories were taken. In the group there were 25 horses with stereotypy. An assessment of the redox status was also made on the basis of stereotypies. Blood sample was taken from the left jugular vein, centrifuged within 24 hours, its serum and plasma were extracted and frozen at -18°C until the time of the analyses. Simultaneously with the blood sampling, the owners completed a questionnaire with all the management aspects of the horse (signalling, feeding, equestrian activity, vaccinations, foot management, etc.). Oxidizing and antioxidant agents were analysed on serum samples. In the specific were analysed: superoxide anion (WST), nitric oxide (NO), reactive oxygen species (d-ROMs), ferric reducing ability of plasma (FRAP) and the activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD). The statistical evaluation was carried out on the basis of the categories previously described, on the basis of the presence and absence of stereotypy and on the basis of some signalling data obtained from the questionnaire. A multivariate ANOVA method was used, using SPSS v.26 (IBM Statistics) as software. The significance level was set at 5%. There were no significant differences in the parameters analysed between the categories. No significant redox status differences were detected based on the presence or absence of stereotypies.