While pectin and lecithins might provide additional support to your horse’s gastric health, they’re not recommended as substitutes for currently approved treatment protocols. | Photo: The Horse Staff

A. Pectin is a type of water-soluble fiber commonly found in fruits such as apples and is also present in fairly high concentrations in some feed ingredients fed to horses such as beet pulp. What’s special about pectins is that when they come in to contact with acid, such as the acid in the horse’s stomach, they turn into gel. In theory, this gel could help protect the lining of the horse’s stomach from ulceration especially the glandular region (back of the stomach that attaches to the small intestine) where acid is secreted.

Lecithins are mixtures of phospholipids that are abundant in plant cell membranes. Most commonly lecithin is isolated from soybeans. Cell membranes are made up of phospholipids, which are composed of a glycerol head that attracts water (is hydrophilic) and a tail made up of two fatty acids that repel water (are hydrophobic).

Research in other species has shown that surface-active phospholipids exist in the gastric fluid and the glycerol heads can attach to the lining of the stomach. This leaves the water repelling tails pointing in towards the stomach contents, essentially creating a barrier against stomach acid. It’s therefore possible that lecithin could help stabilize the cell membranes of the cells lining the horse’s stomach, making them more resistant to ulceration or potentially helping heal them from existing ulcers by protecting them from further gastric acid assault