DOI: 10.11118/nutrinet2026_005

SELECTED BIOMARKERS OF ANTIOXIDANT STATUS IN HORSES

Tamara Hoppejová¹, František Zigo¹, Andrej Récky¹, Alica Tvrdá¹, Stanislav Hreško¹

¹ Department of Animal Nutrition and Husbandry University of Veterinary Medicine and Pharmacy in Košice Komenského 73, 041 81 Košice, Slovak Republic

Oxidative stress represents an important factor affecting health status, reproductive performance, physical performance, and adaptive mechanisms in horses. The aim of this study was to evaluate selected biomarkers of antioxidant status in clinically healthy American Quarter Horses and to assess their usefulness in the evaluation of oxidative balance. The study included 13 clinically healthy horses consisting of seven mares and six geldings aged between 4 and 15 years, used for breeding and recreational purposes. Blood samples were collected from the vena jugularis. Serum samples were used for the determination of total antioxidant status and malondialdehyde concentration, whereas glutathione peroxidase activity was determined from heparinized whole blood. The mean total antioxidant status reached 2.42 ± 0.53 mmol/L, glutathione peroxidase activity 862 ± 265 U/L, and the mean malondialdehyde concentration 0.131 ± 0.022 μmol/L. The obtained results indicated a favorable antioxidant profile in the evaluated horses. The results suggest that clinically healthy American Quarter Horses maintained under the conditions of the studied farm in eastern Slovakia do not exhibit signs of increased oxidative stress. The obtained data provide preliminary information on the antioxidant status of this breed and may serve as a basis for further studies focused on the influence of age, reproductive status, nutrition, and physical activity on the oxidative balance of the equine organism.

Keywords: American Quarter Horse; malondialdehyde; glutathione peroxidase; oxidative stress

pages: 45-52, online: 2026