Efeitos do jejum alimentar sobre o pH bucal em equinos

Abstract

Fasting is a practice routinely employed in equine medicine, particularly prior to anesthetic and surgical procedures, as well as during transport. In humans, studies conducted during Ramadan intermittent fasting demonstrate that dietary restriction can induce salivary changes, including alterations in salivary flow and oral pH. However, the effects of fasting on the pHysiology of the equine oral cavity remain poorly understood. In this context, this study aimed to evaluate the changes in oral pH in horses induced by a 12-hour fast. The experiment was conducted at the Equine Science Unit of the Federal Institute of Minas Gerais – Bambuí Campus, using ten horses belonging to the equine-assisted therapy program. A crossover experimental design was adopted, comprising a Control group (GC) and a Fasting group (GJ); all animals underwent both treatments, with a minimum interval of 15 days between experimental pHases. Assessments were performed at baseline (MB) and after 12 hours (M12) for animals in the fasting group (GJ) or the control group (GC) by measuring salivary pH using a portable digital pH meter. Data were subjected to the Shapiro-Wilk normality test and analyzed using a paired t-test, with a significance level of 5% (P ≤ 0.05). No differences were observed between the groups at baseline. The GC showed no significant changes between experimental time points (P = 0.449). In contrast, horses in the GJ exhibited a significant increase in oral pH after 12 hours of dietary restriction, rising from 7.65 ± 0.92 to 8.34 ± 0.17 (P = 0.044). At the M12 time point, the GJ showed a significantly higher oral pH than the GC (P = 0.021). It is concluded that a 12-hour fast promoted alkalinization of the oral pH in the evaluated horses, indicating that feed restriction affects the pHysiology of the oral cavity. These findings expand knowledge regarding the effects of fasting in equines and provide a basis for future research into its implications for oral health.