Effects of Knotweed-Enriched Feed on the Blood Characteristics and Fitness of Horses

Marcela Kovářová,Jan Novák,Tomáš Frantík,Štěpán Vencl,Petr Maděra

doi:10.3390/agriculture12010109

Marcela Kovářová, Jan Novák + Show 3 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture12010109

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Abstract

The aboveground biomass of dry knotweed was administered daily to large groups of young (1- to 3-year-old) stallions of the Czech Warmblood, Czech-Moravian Coldblood and Silesian Norik breeds, fed individually for 4 and 6 months in two successive winter experiments. Their fitness was compared with control groups consisting of equally numerous subgroups comparable in age, breed, body mass and initial blood parameters. The effects of knotweed on the horses’ fitness were evaluated based on changes in blood characteristics. Even if administered in small amounts, 150 g per day, knotweed could (1) increase the thrombocyte numbers, (2) increase the globulin content (thus improving the horses’ immunity, which is desired in large groups of animals), (3) stimulate lipid metabolism in cold-blooded horses and (4) decrease the concentration of cholesterol. The long-lasting effect of knotweed on both the urea and triglyceride–cholesterol ratio presumably reflected, between the two experiments, the temporary protein starvation of horses on pastures with poor quality of grass in a dry summer.

Highlights

Many countries have been trying to eradicate knotweed due to its invasiveness, it has many practical uses, including improving the health of animals through feed supplementation
Knotweed plants produce a significant number of bioactive constituents, namely, phenolic substances derived from resveratrol, such as piceid, piceatannol, astringin and emodin, which are found in aboveground biomass albeit in smaller quantities than in rhizomes and roots
Most of the stallions are sold at the age of 2–3 years, and only the selected ones are further kept for breeding and training

Summary

Introduction

Many countries have been trying to eradicate knotweed due to its invasiveness, it has many practical uses, including improving the health of animals through feed supplementation. × bohemica), has been thoroughly studied from a range of perspectives, both as an “enemy” of native flora due to its invasiveness and as a plant with many beneficial uses, including positive health effects [1,2,3,4]. As a source of resveratrol and other substances with anti-ageing and other positive effects on both animals and humans, the entire knotweed plant can be expected to have positive effects on the health of horses. Knotweed plants produce a significant number of bioactive constituents, namely, phenolic substances derived from resveratrol, such as piceid, piceatannol, astringin and emodin, which are found in aboveground biomass albeit in smaller quantities than in rhizomes and roots

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