Equine cecum

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The Equine Digestive Tract

Horses are non-ruminant herbivores. Their digestive tract includes a foregut, consisting of the stomach and small intestine, where food is partially digested enzymatically. The digestive tract also includes a hindgut, consisting of the cecum and colon, where fermentation is utilized to break down food that cannot be digested in the foregut. (Kline)

Primary Microbial Residents of the Equine Cecum

The natural microflora of the equine cecum includes both gram positive and gram negative bacteria as well as several species of protozoa. The cecum contains several lactic acid producing species in the genus Streptococcus, including Streptococcus bovis http://microbewiki.kenyon.edu/index.php/Streptococcus and Streptococcus equinus. S. bovis is actually the most prolific species in the cecum. Other lactic acid producers located in the cecum are members of the genus Lactobacillus http://microbewiki.kenyon.edu/index.php/Lactobacillus. Several species of gram negative Bacteroides http://microbewiki.kenyon.edu/index.php/Bacteroides are also found in the cecum. (Mackie)

Bacterial Metabolism

Enter summaries of the most recent research. You may find it more appropriate to include this as a subsection under several of your other sections rather than separately here at the end. You should include at least FOUR topics of research and summarize each in terms of the question being asked, the results so far, and the topics for future study. (more will be expected from larger groups than from smaller groups)

References

“Explaining Laminitis and Founder Part Two: What Causes Laminitis?” The Cyberhorse Guide To Horse Health. 2003. CyberHorse. 2003 <http://www.cyberhorse.net.au/cgi-bin/tve/displaynewsitem.pl?20040325laminitispt2.txt>.

Bailey, S. R., M. L. Baillon, A. N. Rycroft, P. A. Harris, and J. Elliot. “Identification of Equine Cecal Bacteria Producing Amines in an In Vitro Model of Carbohydrate Overload.” Applied and Environmental Microbiology. Apr. 2003. p2087-2093.

Elliott, Jonathan and Simon R. Bailey. “Gastrointestinal Factors Are potential Triggers for the Development of Acute Equine Laminitis”. The Journal of Nutrition. July 2006. Volume 136. p. 2103S-2107S.

Hussein, H.S. and L.A. Vogedes. “Review: Forage Nutritional Value for Equine as Affected by Forage Species and Cereal Grain Supplementation”. Professional Animal Scientist. October 2003.

Julliand Veronique, Albane de Vaux, Liliane Millet, and Gerard Fonty. “Identification of Ruminococcus flavefaciens as the Predominant Cellulolytic Bacterial Species of the Equine Cecum.” Applied and Environmental Microbiology. Aug. 1999. p3738-3741.

Kern, D.L., L. L. Slyter, E.C. Leffel, J. M. Weaver and R. R. Oltjen. “Ponies vs. Steers: Microbial and Chemical Characteristics of Intestinal Ingesta.” Journal of Animal Science. 1974. 36:559-564.

Kern, D.L., L. L. Slyter, J. M. Weaver, E. C. Leffel, G. Samuelson. “Pony cecum vs. Steer Rumen: The Effect of Oats and Hay on the Microbial Ecosystem.” Journal of Animal Science.1973. 37:46-469.

Kline, Robert, Porr, Shea and Cardina, John. The Ohio State University Bulletin. Horse Nutrition. Bulletin 762-00. http://ohioline.osu.edu/b762/b762_5.html.

Mackie, Roderick I., and Clive A. Wilkins. “Enumeration of Anaerobic Bacterial Microflora of Equine Gastrointestinal Tract.” Applied and Environmental Microbiology. Sept. 1988. p2155-2160.

Maczulak, Anne E., Karl A. Dawson, and John P. Baker. “Nitrogen Utilization in Bacterial Isolates from the Equine Cecum”. Applied and Environmental Microbiology. Dec. 1985. p. 1439-1443.

Pollitt, C.C., M. Kyaw-Tanner, K.R. French, A.W. Van Eps, J.K. Hendrikz and M. Daradka. "Equine Laminitis". 49th Annual Convention of the American Association of Equine Practitioners. 2003. New Orleans, LA.

Rowe, James B., Michael J. Lees & David W. Pethick. “Prevention of Acidosis and Laminitis Associated with Grain Feeding in Horses”. The Journal of Nutrition. 1994. Volume 124. p. 2742S-2744S.

Edited by [Tim Shaw and Megan Tambaschi], students of Rachel Larsen