Uses of Saccharomyces cerevisiae as a feed additive in horse feeding

Saccharomyces cerevisiae (Sc) has been used in equine nutrition for several decades. Several studies have found that administration of yeast to a horse’s diet results increased digestibility. Yeast helps to prevent reducing hindgut microbial disturbancesrelated to sudden diet changes. It has been observed that addition of live yeast to a horse’s diet increases lactobacilli in cecum and improves enzyme activity in cecum and colon. Some of the benefits of adding active live yeast to a horse’s diet, can be explained by the regulation of Polysaccharidase activities involved in plant cell wall digestion and activities of glycoside hydrolases (α-l-arabinosidase, β-d-cellobiosidase, β-dglucosidase,β-d-xylosidase) induced by the addition of Sc to the diet. This additive is also able to absorb feed- contaminating mycotoxins and may help reduce the incidence of cancerigenic, teratogenic, mutagenic, hepatotoxic, immunosuppressive, and brain, kidney, reproductive and digestive systems damage related to mycotoxicosis in horses, associated to with food poisoning. For all of these reasons, Sc could be used as a beneficial feed additive in horse diet.