A starch-rich treat affects enteroinsular responses in ponies

• Published in: Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association Vol. 260; no. S3; pp. S94 - S101
• Main Authors: Sibthorpe, Poppy E. M., Fitzgerald, Danielle M., Chen, Lan, Sillence, Martin N., de Laat, Melody A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 01-12-2022
• ISSN: 0003-1488; 1943-569X
• DOI: 10.2460/javma.22.06.0272

Abstract OBJECTIVE To determine the effect of a starch-rich treat, added to the daily diet of ponies for 10 days, on enteroinsular responses to meal consumption. ANIMALS 10 mixed-breed adult ponies owned by Queensland University of Technology were used in the study. Six ponies were metabolically healthy, and 4 were insulin dysregulated at the start of the study, according to the results of an in-feed oral glucose test. PROCEDURES A bread-based treat was offered twice daily for 10 days, adding 0.36 ± 0.04 g/kg body weight (BW) carbohydrates to the daily diet. Before and after treatment, the intestinal capacity for simple carbohydrate absorption was approximated with a modified D-xylose absorption test. Plasma glucagon-like peptide-2 (GLP-2), blood glucose, and serum insulin responses to eating were also measured before and after treatment. RESULTS The absorption of D-xylose (area under the curve [AUC]) increased 1.6-fold ( P < .001) after 10 days of eating the treat. In addition, while basal (fasted) GLP-2 concentrations were not affected, GLP-2 AUC increased 1.4-fold in response to eating ( P = .005). The treat did not change blood glucose or serum insulin concentrations, before, during, or after eating. CLINICAL RELEVANCE A small amount of additional carbohydrate each day in the form of a treat can cause a measurable change in the enteroinsular responses to eating.