Avocado and soybean unsaponifiable (ASU) extracts–the fraction of oil that does not form soap after hydrolysis–are some of the newest joint products to grace the equine nutritional supplement shelves. The beneficial effects of ASU for horses with osteoarthritis were reported in a new study by David Frisbie, DVM, PhD and colleagues from the Gail Holmes Equine Orthopaedic Research Center at Colorado State University.

The researchers evaluated ASU in horses with experimentally-induced osteoarthritis. This clinical trial concluded that ASU significantly reduced the severity of joint damage and significantly increased the synthesis of cartilage glycosaminoglycans (i.e., the "building blocks" of articular cartilage) in joints with osteoarthritis, compared to horses treated with a placebo.

In this study, 16 horses with osteoarthritis were divided into two groups: eight horses received ASU extracts in molasses and eight received only molasses for 70 days. During the study, the horses were exercised on a treadmill and the researchers measured the horses’ lameness, joint swelling, and various gross, microscopic, and biochemical parameters.

"While ASU did not decrease clinical signs of pain in horses with osteoarthritis, a disease-modifying effect was identified suggesting that oral administration of ASU can be useful in the management of horses with osteoarthritis," Frisbie reported