Undergraduate researcher from Brazil investigates equine joint supplements
Many horse owners have purchased a joint supplement for their horses, but these products often lack independent scientific research to confirm their efficacy.
Bridging the gap between consumer marketing and veterinary reality is Priscila Wadt Puglisi Franco, an undergraduate veterinary student from Brazil.
Franco's research, conducted during an externship at the Marion duPont Scott Equine Medical Center in Leesburg, Virginia, investigates whether and how veterinarians recommend joint supplements — whether as preventative measures, supportive therapies, or adjuncts alongside traditional medical treatments like intra-articular joint injections and extracorporeal shockwave therapy.
In the United States, supplement manufacturers face no pre-market clinical testing requirements — unlike FDA-approved pharmaceutical drugs — because their products are legally categorized as animal feed. Marketing words like "supports" or "maintains" are legally permitted, but claiming a supplement "cures" or "prevents" disease would reclassify it as an unapproved drug requiring clinical safety data.
The goal of Franco's work is to map out which supplements equine veterinarians routinely recommend, why, and what patient outcomes result. Because joint stress is a universal issue for performance horses globally, her findings have wide-reaching implications.
"This research is timely, and highly relevant to the field of equine sports medicine and musculoskeletal health," said Gustavo Zanotto, clinical assistant professor of sports medicine and lameness at the EMC. "The use of nutraceuticals in managing orthopedic conditions in horses remains an area of considerable clinical interest yet is characterized by variable evidence-based guidance. This project is well-designed to address important gaps in current knowledge, particularly with respect to practitioner recommendation practices and the strength of supporting evidence."
Franco is studying at the Universidade de São Paulo and is mentored by Alexandre Augusto de Oliveira Gobesso, a scientist who focuses exclusively on equine research. Her background is rooted in a nation with the world's fourth-largest horse population, exceeding 5 million animals, and a rich equestrian tradition spanning ranching and international sport.
In Brazil, accessibility to advanced equine-specific hospitals is often restricted by vast geographic distances and economic barriers, driving the widespread reliance on joint supplements — underscoring the need for independent data on their clinical efficacy.
Franco's externship is funded by the São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP), a major Brazilian public institution that funds scientific advancement and global research collaboration, including scholarships for undergraduate and postdoctoral researchers.
Once data collection is complete, Franco will collaborate with a team of experts to analyze the findings and draft a research paper for peer-reviewed publication. Her co-authors will include Gustavo M. Zanotto, clinical assistant professor of sports medicine and lameness at the EMC; her Brazilian mentor, Gobesso; and Chris Byron, department head of Large Animal Clinical Sciences at the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine.
