Evaluation of a Chinese herbal supplement on equine squamous gastric disease and gastric fluid pH in mares

Abstract

Background Wei Le San (WLS) is a Chinese herbal formula comprised of 9 herbs selected for their putative anti‐inflammatory effects. Objectives To evaluate the effects of WLS administration in horses with nonglandular gastric ulcers. Animals Ten mixed breed mares (aged 7‐21 years, 401‐567 kg body weight). Methods Experimental design was a blinded, prospective, 2‐period crossover study. All horses received a placebo (25 mL dextrose‐based syrup; n = 10) and the treatment (WLS, 5 g in 25 mL dextrose‐based syrup; n = 10), administered twice daily. Horses underwent a 1‐week, alternating feed‐deprivation period to induce or worsen existing ulcers; treatment began on day 7. Gastroscopic examination was performed on d0, d6, and d35, with gastric fluid pH obtained on d6 and d35. Gastric ulcer scores assigned by 3 masked observers were averaged for each examination. Results Ulcer number scores for horses treated with WLS (median = 0; range, 0‐4) was not different from the untreated controls (median = 0.5; range, 0‐4; P = .81) by the end of the treatment period. Ulcer severity score for treated horses (median = 0; range, 0‐1) was also unchanged compared to the control group (median = 0.5; range, 0‐1; P = .85). Gastric pH was not altered by either treatment, with a median of 2.1 (range, 1.9‐4.1) for the horses treated with WLS and 2.8 (range, 1.6‐7.2) in the untreated controls (P = .46). Conclusions and Clinical Importance The experimental model used to induce gastric ulceration was unable to discern a difference between the herbal supplement and the placebo in normal horses.

Equine Squamous Gastric Disease: Prevalence, Impact and Management

“… 138 Aloe vera was shown to be inferior to omeprazole for the treatment of ESGD, 139 and a Chinese herbal supplement blend (Wei le San) was no more effective than a placebo. 140 …”

Effects of traditional Chinese herbal feed supplement on growth performance, immunity, antioxidant levels, and intestinal health in chickens: a study on Ningdu yellow chickens

“…Apart from their medicinal properties, traditional Chinese herbal medicine formulations are also rich in proteins, vitamins, minerals, and polysaccharides, contribute to several nutritional roles. These include stimulating the growth of beneficial gut bacteria, improving gut health, and regulating nutrient metabolism and endocrine function ( Munsterman et al, 2019 ; Sharma et al, 2020 ; Mahmoud et al, 2021 ). Commonly used herbs in these TCPs, such as licorice, Codonopsis pilosula, Astragalus membranaceus, Atractylodes, Angelica sinensis, Rhizoma cimicifugae, Radix bupleuri, dried tangerine peel, ginger , and jujube , have been shown to possess various properties.…”

Equine Gastric Ulcer Syndrome: An Update on Current Knowledge

“…A combination of turmeric and devil’s claw did not significantly increase healing of naturally occurring non-specified EGUS [ 209 ]. A mixture of Chinese herbs was not found to significantly reduce ESGD scores or increase gastric pH in a fasting model of disease [ 210 ].…”