Using Raman spectroscopy on serum samples from sports horses, researchers report identifying metabolic changes responsible for the appearance of fatigue.
Raman spectroscopy is a technique for analyzing body fluids. Proven effective for protein analysis. This technique has been widely used to study human biological fluids such as tears, urine, and sweat.
Researchers at the University of Messina in Italy said evaluating the performance level of sports horses is important to prevent sports injuries.
Scientists write in their diaries animalevaluated the use of Raman spectroscopy to assess changes in serum metabolic biomarkers collected before and after completing a jumping course in five regularly trained 8- to 10-year-old Italian saddlehorse geldings. It was announced in a prospective study that
All horses were healthy and received the same level of training under the same training program.
The obstacle course consisted of a 350-meter course with eleven 1.25-meter jumps.
Four blood samples were collected from each horse for analysis. One before the start of the course, one right after the start of the course, plus one for him half an hour after the start of the course and one for him one hour after the start of the course.
Analysis by Raman spectroscopy revealed metabolites involved in increased fatigue. Lipids and tryptophan were identified in one frequency band, and leucine, glycine, isoleucine, lactate, tripeptides, adenosine, and beta-carotene in another frequency band.
“Significant effects of exercise were recorded in all subbands,” reported Giuseppe Acri and colleagues. “In particular, we saw changes before and after exercise.”
The average lactate concentration was positively correlated with the Raman area of subbands assigned to lactate.
“In this context, the application of Raman spectroscopy to serum samples will be a useful technique for protein secondary structure identification to investigate metabolic changes that occur during exercise in athletic horses,” the researchers said. rice field.
Raman spectroscopy is a technique that has proven to be easy to perform, rapid, reproducible and non-invasive, the authors say. “No special chemical diagnostic kits are required, it is non-destructive and the limits of analysis are represented only by the decomposition of the sample itself.
“Our results can be considered a starting point for further studies with more horses to confirm our results.”
They continued: “It seems natural to emphasize that each amino acid spectrum is unique, and that this manifests itself in the Raman spectrum when exposed to different environments due to protein conformational changes upon binding.”
“As this study has shown, this technology provides useful information for understanding horse responses to exercise, monitoring training programs, and obtaining early diagnoses of poor performance that are viable in the field. ”
In particular, the researchers said there is potential for using hand-held Raman scattering devices and stimulated Raman scattering devices.
The research team consisted of Acri, Barbara Testagrossa, Giuseppe Piccione, Francesca Alfusso, Elisabetta Giudice and Claudia Giannetto, all from the University of Messina.
Acri, G. Testagrossa, B. Piccione, G. Alfuso, F. Judith, E. Giannetto, C. Evaluation of central and peripheral fatigue during exercise in athletic horses by Raman spectroscopy. Animals 2023, 13, 2201. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13132201
This research Creative Commons Licensecan read here.
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