Clinical | Equine

New natural alternative for flexible joints from Zoetis

vetreportAugust 12, 2013

Zoetis, formerly Pfizer Animal Health, has introduced an exciting new and natural alternative for flexible joints. Flexi4 is a unique nutritional supplement for horses containing a patented combination of natural plant extracts to help maintain joint flexibility and the management of joint pain. It’s already being used by world class equestrian athletes.

Flexi4 contains a blend of four carefully selected plant extracts, Curcumin, Yucca schidigera, Salix alba and Boswellia serrata, that have been shown to have anti-inflammatory, anti-pyretic and analgesic properties.^1-8

Curcumin, an extract from the roots of the herb Curcuma longa, has been shown to down-regulate inflammatory pathways and inhibit the production of inflammatory cytokines.¹ It has also been shown to significantly reduce the release of GAGs from the cartilage matrix.²

Yucca schidigera is a botanical extract, rich in saponins that suppress the intestinal protozoa, which are thought to have a role in joint inflammation in some circumstances.³ The extract also contains antioxidant polyphenols, which inhibit the enzymes of the arachidonic acid cascade, thereby reducing the production of inflammatory mediators.⁴

Salix alba is an extract of white willow bark containing salicin, polyphenols and flavonoids. These are reported to have a positive effect on chrondrocyte viability, differentiation and function⁵ as well as anti-inflammatory, anti-pyretic and analgesic properties.⁶

Boswellia serrata is the botanical extract of gum resin. Its role is to inhibit the pro-inflammatory cytokines and mediators which initiate the inflammatory process⁷ and produce anti-inflammatory activity at sites of chronic inflammation.⁸

Mary King, Olympic three day eventing team silver medallist, routinely uses Flexi4. “When performing at the highest level it’s important that my horses’ joints remain flexible and free of pain,” she explains. “Using Flexi4 has made them more resilient to aches and pains during intense training and I am confident when competing that my horses are feeling the benefit of this natural product, helping them to perform at their very best.”

Flexi4 is a palatable apple-flavoured gel that is easy to feed as a once daily supplement resulting in good owner compliance. It doesn’t contain any substances listed as prohibited by the FEI.* To find out more, speak to your Zoetis Account Manager, call 0845 300 8034 or email CustomerSupportUK@zoetis.com.

1. Jurenka JS, AlternMed Rev. 2009 Jun. 2 Clutterbuck 2009. 3. Cheeke et al. Journal of Inflammation 2006. 4 Wenzig et al. Agric Food Chem. 2008. 5 Shakibaei 2012 Evidence-based Complementary and alternative Medicine volume 2012, article ID 509383. 6 Nahrstedt et al. Wien Med Wochenschr. 2007. 7 Gayathri et al. Int Immunopharmacol. 2007 Apr. 8 Siddiqui, Indian J Pharm Sci. 2011 May-Jun.

*FEI prohibited substance list, 2013