Interdependence of productive effort and in vitro vegetal extract treatment on specific cell-mediated immunity in horses

Abstract

The research aimed at identifying and rendering alcoholic extracts of various plants based on their in vitro potential in stimulating cell mediated immunity and in alleviating stress effects subsequent to workout type in horses. Experimental horses were selected from different working environments: (a) draft, agricultural works-n = 16, average age 8 years, (b) inconstant effort, leisure, n = 15, average age 7.5 years and (c) constant training, endurance, average age 3.5 years. Blood samples were collected in heparinized vials (50 UI/ml) before and after the workout. Alcoholic extracts (2 mu l/well, duplicate) of Taraxacum officinale (L) Weber, Symphytum officinale L., Equisetum palustre L., Viola tricolor L., Avena sativa L., Capsella bursa pastoris (L) Medik., Hypericum perforatum L., Chelidonium majus L. were investigated by blast transformation test and statistically interpreted (Students t test). In vitro responses were the highest to all tested extracts in endurance horses and the lowest in draft horses (p<0.01-0.001). C. bursa pastoris. was the most efficient in draft and endurance categories before the workout (draft 45.13 +/- 8.05, in leisure 48.09 +/- 24.13 and 53.44 +/- 9.32 in endurance horses), but not after the workout, where C. majus performed better (41.86 +/- 22.47 in leisure and 48.1 +/- 6.82 in endurance horses), probably due to its complex, protein-rich latex structure. The effects of plant extracts depended on the type of effort and the level of constant training rather than on the taxonomy of the plant.