Dietary supplementation of micro-encapsulated sodium butyrate in healthy horses: effect on gut histology and immunohistochemistry parameters

Table 1 Feed composition and mean feed intake, bwt, fecal pH and consistency at day 1 and 20

Component	Haylage^a		Concentrate^a,b
DM, g/kg product	861.6		895.4
Crude ash, g/kg DM	59.3		63.0
Crude fiber, g/kg DM	324.1		50.9
Crude fat, g/kg DM	11.1		81.3
Crude protein, g/kg DM	80.3		134.1
Sugar, g/kg DM	137.1		60.5
Starch, g/kg DM	0.0		351.2
Component	Butyrate supplement		Placebo supplement
Sodium, g/kg supplement	63.9		0.86
Butyric acid, g/kg supplement	238		< 0.1
Mean	Butyrate		Placebo
Mean	d1	d20	d1	d20
Roughage intake (kg)	6.9	6.9	6.9	6.9
Concentrate + supplement intake (kg)^c	5.8	5.8	5.9	5.9
BW (kg)	559	579	571	586
Fecal pH	6.97	6.67	6.88	6.62
Fecal consistency score^d	3	3	3	3

^a Analyzed by wet chemistry
^b Ingredient composition of the concentrate (Cavalor Mash & Mix^c): flaked barley, wheat bran, linseed, oats, expanded barley, expanded corn, cane molasses, toasted soybeans, horse bean flakes, carrot pieces, calcium carbonate, leek, sodium chloride, soybean meal, fructo oligosaccharides, sunflower meal, palm kernel expeller
^c Concentrate and supplement provided together (mean values 5.6 kg concentrate + 229 g supplement in butyrate-fed group and 5.7 kg concentrate + 230 g supplement in placebo-fed group)
^d Fecal consistency score (1, watery feces, 2, decreased consistency, 3, ideal, 4: hard, 5: constipation)

ISSN: 1746-6148