<p style="margin-top: 0.1pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0.1pt; text-align: right;"><a href="index.php?option=com_content&amp;view=article&amp;id=3886:would-you-like-to-comment-on-our-articles&amp;catid=619:topics-feedback&amp;lang=en-GB"><span style="color: #ff0000;"><strong><span id="result_box" class="short_text" lang="en"><span class="hps">Please comment on</span> <span class="hps">this article</span></span></strong></span></a></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0.1pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0.1pt;">&nbsp;</p>
<p><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"></span><strong>B-vitamins are a group of eight water soluble vitamins that play important roles in cell metabolism. They cannot be produced by the body itself, but can be produced by bacteria, fungi and plants. In the horse, microorganisms in the gut, mainly the hind gut, are capable of synthesizing B-vitamins. Nutrient requirements have so far only been well established for thiamin (B1) and riboflavin (B2). The requirements included in PC-Horse for vitamin B6 must therefore be regarded as guidelines.<br /></strong></p>
<p><img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="images-joomla/stories/seasons/vitamin-b6.jpg" alt="vitamin b6" /><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"> <br /></span></p>
<p><strong>Function</strong><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span>Vitamin B<sub>6</sub> is extremely performs a wide variety of functions in the body. It is involved in many enzyme reactions, most of which are concerned with protein, carbohydrate and lipid metabolism. It is also a cofactor in the biosynthesis of the neurotransmitters adrenaline and noradrenaline.<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"> <br /></span></p>
<p><strong>Dietary sources</strong><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span>Vitamin B<sub>6</sub> encompasses several chemical forms; pyridoxine, pyridoxal and pyridoxamine. They all have equal vitamin activity on a molar basis. The synthetic form of pyridoxine used for dietary supplementation is most often pyridoxine hydrochloride. Vitamin B<sub>6</sub> is found in most feeds and the vitamin is also, as noted, produced by microbes in the intestines.<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"> </span>Compound feeds are typically supplemented with 2-6 mg vitamin B<sub>6</sub> per kg dry matter.</p>
<p><strong>Requirements</strong><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span>Based on available literature and requirements given for other domestic animals, PC-Horse provides the following guidelines for vitamin B<sub>6 </sub>in horse rations:</p>
<table style="border-collapse: collapse;" border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 106.1pt; border: 1pt solid windowtext; padding: 0cm 5.4pt;" valign="top" width="106">Maintenance</td>
<td style="width: 5cm; border-width: 1pt 1pt 1pt medium; border-style: solid solid solid none; border-color: windowtext windowtext windowtext -moz-use-text-color; padding: 0cm 5.4pt;" valign="top" width="142">0.020 mg/kg body weight</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 106.1pt; border-width: medium 1pt 1pt; border-style: none solid solid; border-color: -moz-use-text-color windowtext windowtext; padding: 0cm 5.4pt;" valign="top" width="106">Light exercise</td>
<td style="width: 5cm; border-width: medium 1pt 1pt medium; border-style: none solid solid none; border-color: -moz-use-text-color windowtext windowtext -moz-use-text-color; padding: 0cm 5.4pt;" valign="top" width="142">0.020 mg/kg body weight</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 106.1pt; border-width: medium 1pt 1pt; border-style: none solid solid; border-color: -moz-use-text-color windowtext windowtext; padding: 0cm 5.4pt;" valign="top" width="106">Moderate exercise</td>
<td style="width: 5cm; border-width: medium 1pt 1pt medium; border-style: none solid solid none; border-color: -moz-use-text-color windowtext windowtext -moz-use-text-color; padding: 0cm 5.4pt;" valign="top" width="142">0.022 mg/kg body weight</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 106.1pt; border-width: medium 1pt 1pt; border-style: none solid solid; border-color: -moz-use-text-color windowtext windowtext; padding: 0cm 5.4pt;" valign="top" width="106">Heavy exercise</td>
<td style="width: 5cm; border-width: medium 1pt 1pt medium; border-style: none solid solid none; border-color: -moz-use-text-color windowtext windowtext -moz-use-text-color; padding: 0cm 5.4pt;" valign="top" width="142">0.026 mg/kg body weight</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 106.1pt; border-width: medium 1pt 1pt; border-style: none solid solid; border-color: -moz-use-text-color windowtext windowtext; padding: 0cm 5.4pt;" valign="top" width="106">Very heavy exercise</td>
<td style="width: 5cm; border-width: medium 1pt 1pt medium; border-style: none solid solid none; border-color: -moz-use-text-color windowtext windowtext -moz-use-text-color; padding: 0cm 5.4pt;" valign="top" width="142">0.026 mg/kg body weight</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 106.1pt; border-width: medium 1pt 1pt; border-style: none solid solid; border-color: -moz-use-text-color windowtext windowtext; padding: 0cm 5.4pt;" valign="top" width="106">Pregnant mares</td>
<td style="width: 5cm; border-width: medium 1pt 1pt medium; border-style: none solid solid none; border-color: -moz-use-text-color windowtext windowtext -moz-use-text-color; padding: 0cm 5.4pt;" valign="top" width="142">0.020 mg/kg body weight</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 106.1pt; border-width: medium 1pt 1pt; border-style: none solid solid; border-color: -moz-use-text-color windowtext windowtext; padding: 0cm 5.4pt;" valign="top" width="106">Lactating mares</td>
<td style="width: 5cm; border-width: medium 1pt 1pt medium; border-style: none solid solid none; border-color: -moz-use-text-color windowtext windowtext -moz-use-text-color; padding: 0cm 5.4pt;" valign="top" width="142">0.026 mg/kg body weight</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 106.1pt; border-width: medium 1pt 1pt; border-style: none solid solid; border-color: -moz-use-text-color windowtext windowtext; padding: 0cm 5.4pt;" valign="top" width="106">Growing horses</td>
<td style="width: 5cm; border-width: medium 1pt 1pt medium; border-style: none solid solid none; border-color: -moz-use-text-color windowtext windowtext -moz-use-text-color; padding: 0cm 5.4pt;" valign="top" width="142">0.025 mg/kg body weight</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p><strong>Deficiency</strong><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span>Deficiency symptoms have not been reported in horses.</p>
<p><strong>Toxicity</strong><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span>As vitamin B<sub>6</sub> is a water-soluble vitamin, excess intake will be excreted in the urine. Vitamin B<sub>6</sub> toxicity in horses has never been reported.</p>
<p><strong>PC-Horse</strong><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span>PC-Horse calculates guidelines for Vitamin B<sub>6</sub> intake individually for each horse. Where values could be obtained, B<sub>6</sub> is included in the feed tables. When composing rations using PC-Horse, you will always be able to control that the intake of vitamin B<sub>6</sub> is at least sufficient to comply with the proposed guidelines.</p>
<p><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0.1pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0.1pt; text-align: right;"><span style="color: #ff0000;"><strong><span class="short_text" lang="en"><span class="hps"></span><span class="hps"> <br /></span></span></strong></span></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0.1pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0.1pt; text-align: right;"><a href="index.php?option=com_content&amp;view=article&amp;id=3886:would-you-like-to-comment-on-our-articles&amp;catid=619:topics-feedback&amp;lang=en-GB"><span style="color: #ff0000;"><strong><span id="result_box" class="short_text" lang="en"><span class="hps">Please comment on</span> <span class="hps">this article</span></span></strong></span></a></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0.1pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0.1pt; text-align: right;"><span style="color: #ff0000;"><strong><span id="result_box" class="short_text" lang="en"><span class="hps"></span></span></strong></span></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0.1pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0.1pt;">&nbsp;</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0.1pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0.1pt;"><em>This article was originally written by Dr. Day Austbø.</em><br /> <em>Copyright: PC-Horse International - Norway 2015</em><br /> <em>Feel free to use and publish the material. Please indicate the source and author.</em></p>