Researchers know that equine metabolic syndrome (EMS) is a growing—and dangerous—problem facing horses and ponies. As such, they’re working continually to find solutions to help lower affected equids’ risk of developing side effects such as obesity and laminitis.

Research studies have revealed that EMS might be linked to intestinal inflammation. So, a team of researchers in Poland recently tested whether blue-green algae (Spirulina platensis)—known for its anti-inflammatory effects—could help horses with EMS.

In a two-party study, the team investigated the in vitro (in the laboratory) application of a Spirulina extract on adipose (fat)-derived mesenchymal cells (ASCs), found in fatty tissue, and intestinal epithelial cells (IECs, the first-line cells exposed to dietary compounds) from EMS horses. The researchers also performed an in vivo (in the live horse) experiment to determine how Spirulina supplementation impacts insulin resistance in EMS horses.

“The antioxidative effect of Spirulina seems to play a fundamental role in the insulin sensitivity process,” noted Krzysztof Marycz, PhD, DSc, head of the Wroclaw University of Environmental and Life Sciences Department of Experimental Biology