TUBULE DENSITY, MOISTURE CONTENT AND MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF DONKEY HOOF HORN
type: CreativeWork
description: This study established new protocols for the collection, storage and preparation of donkey hoof horn samples prior to their subsequent analysis. Using these methods, normal values for moisture content, tubule density and mechanical properties for donkey hoof horn were established. Novel methods for investigating regional differences in these hoof horn parameters were also validated in this study. The protocols for, and calculations used in, establishing hoof wall moisture content were substantially reviewed in this study. There were significant differences between moisture contents of donkey hoof horn ascertained using different drying techniques. One technique, namely desiccation over phosphorus pentoxide, was subsequently chosen to be the most appropriate method for dehydration of hoof horn for analyses of moisture content. The moisture content of donkey hoof horn of 33% was found to be significantly higher (p<O.O1) than the 26% shown for horse hoof horn. Donkey and horse hoof horn are, in vivo, close to full hydration levels. This is a different situation to that previously believed to exist for the horse and may have important implications for the management of donkey hoofhom and the types of disease to which it is subject. The sorption and desorption isotherms for donkey hoof horn samples equilibrated over different saturated salt solutions showed hysteresis. It is thus necessary to know whether the moisture content of donkey horn samples following equilibration in a particular relative humidity environment has been achieved by sorption or desorption. The sorption and desorption isotherms for donkey hoof horn showed similar results to other keratinised tissues such as wool and head horn. Analyses were carried out on full hoof wall depth samples and also on partial hoof wall depth samples. These latter samples were known as zones, with zone 1 being the most outer part of the Stratum medium and zone 4 being the most inner part. There was a dorso-palmar increase i…
abstract: This study established new protocols for the collection, storage and preparation of donkey hoof horn samples prior to their subsequent analysis. Using these methods, normal values for moisture content, tubule density and mechanical properties for donkey hoof horn were established. Novel methods for investigating regional differences in these hoof horn parameters were also validated in this study. The protocols for, and calculations used in, establishing hoof wall moisture content were substantially reviewed in this study. There were significant differences between moisture contents of donkey hoof horn ascertained using different drying techniques. One technique, namely desiccation over phosphorus pentoxide, was subsequently chosen to be the most appropriate method for dehydration of hoof horn for analyses of moisture content. The moisture content of donkey hoof horn of 33% was found to be significantly higher (p<O.O1) than the 26% shown for horse hoof horn. Donkey and horse hoof horn are, in vivo, close to full hydration levels. This is a different situation to that previously believed to exist for the horse and may have important implications for the management of donkey hoofhom and the types of disease to which it is subject. The sorption and desorption isotherms for donkey hoof horn samples equilibrated over different saturated salt solutions showed hysteresis. It is thus necessary to know whether the moisture content of donkey horn samples following equilibration in a particular relative humidity environment has been achieved by sorption or desorption. The sorption and desorption isotherms for donkey hoof horn showed similar results to other keratinised tissues such as wool and head horn. Analyses were carried out on full hoof wall depth samples and also on partial hoof wall depth samples. These latter samples were known as zones, with zone 1 being the most outer part of the Stratum medium and zone 4 being the most inner part. There was a dorso-palmar increase i…
author: Hopegood, Lyn
license: https://dora.dmu.ac.uk/bitstreams/5cb6400a-caf4-4fa4-9cb7-a31df9ad5e99/download
date published: 2002-12
date modified: 2026-07-24T06:18:31Z
provider: De Montfort University
publisher: Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations
type: WebPage
source organization: De Montfort University