Publication Date

Spring 2021

Advisor(s) - Committee Chair

Phillip Gunter(Director), Todd Willian, Martha Day, and Noah Ashley

Degree Program

Department of Agriculture and Food Science

Degree Type

Master of Science

Abstract

Garlic (Allium sativum L.) is a spice that has been used for centuries for medicinal purposes or flavoring in food. Garlic has also been commonly used as a fly and pest control for horses and is still commonly used for that purpose today. Recent research has shown garlic may cause Heinz body anemia in horses. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the incidence of Heinz body anemia in horses supplemented with varying rates of garlic. This study included 12 horses divided into 4 groups (control and 3 supplement rates: low (0.0625 g/kg), medium (0.125 g/kg), high (0.1875 g/kg)) that were provided garlic for 74 days. Blood samples and weights were taken on day 0, 25, 50, and 74. Data were analyzed using Proc Mixed of SAS as a completely randomized design, α = 0.05. Garlic affected red blood cells (P = 0.0278) and platelets (P = 0.0058). Hemoglobin (P = 0.0740) and Heinz bodies (P = 0.4055) were not significantly affected by garlic. Overall, these results show that red blood cell counts and platelets were affected by garlic supplementation, but hemoglobin and Heinz body counts were not. Our findings indicate that garlic supplementation may be safe for horses, but further research is needed.

Disciplines

Cell and Developmental Biology | Other Animal Sciences | Other Nutrition | Other Plant Sciences

Download

Share

COinS