Search Results (43)

Optimal dietary calcium (Ca) and phosphorus (P) requirements remain undetermined for Ningxiang pigs, a valuable indigenous Chinese breed. This study conducted a continuous feeding trial with two growth phases (grower: 30–50 kg; finisher: 50–80 kg) using fixed Ca/P ratios to systematically evaluate the effects of Ca/P levels on growth performance and mineral metabolism. A total of 180 pigs per phase were allocated to four Ca/P levels. During the grower phase, a dietary regimen of 0.83% Ca/0.67% P significantly increased the average daily feed intake (ADFI), average daily gain (ADG), and apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) of energy and P. In the finisher phase, 0.60/0.48% Ca/P showed optimal growth performance, upregulated jejunal mineral transporters (CaSR and SLC34A2), enhanced bone mineralization (metatarsal ash content), and improved intestinal morphology (duodenal and jejunal villus height, jejunal villus surface area). This regimen also selectively enriched Peptostreptococcaceae abundance, indicating improved host–microbe interactions. Based on these findings, stage-specific nutritional strategies were recommended: 0.83% Ca/0.67% P during the grower phase and 0.60% Ca/0.48% P during the finisher phase. These protocols synergistically improve microbial ecology, intestinal function, and bone metabolism, thereby maximizing the growth potential of Ningxiang pigs. Full article

Edema disease is a multifactorial infectious disease caused by specific E. coli virotypes possessing fimbriae F18 and toxin Stx2e that cause significant losses in the post-weaning period. The aim of this study was to assess the presence of Stx2e-producing E. coli verotypes in Slovenian commercial pig farms in relation to the biosecurity and technological measures undertaken by the owners. Samples of oral fluid were collected from growers and fatteners at 5–6 weeks, 7–8 weeks, 12 weeks and 14 weeks of age on 37 commercial pig farms, using the Verocheck^® diagnostic kit for the real-time PCR detection of Stx2e. The results of RT-PCR and the questionnaire were statistically analyzed. The prevalence of E. coli strains producing Stx2e was 64.9%. Statistically significant association between the prevalence of Stx2e producing E. coli strains and the type of the farm and feed origin was proved. No association was found between prevalence and farm size, presence of quarantine or previous outbreaks of edema disease. None of the studied age groups showed a statistically significant dominance in prevalence compared to other age groups, which contradicts the current theoretical data. Further studies are needed to estimate the proportion of Stx2e produced by the EDEC pathotype compared to other E. coli strains. Full article

The modernization of pig production has led to increasingly larger populations of pigs. This dynamic allows for accelerated production and ensures a steady pork supply but also facilitates the spread of infections. PCV2 is a ubiquitous virus and can cause PCV2-associated diseases, depending on production practices. This study aimed to evaluate the conditions of pig production in the state of Jalisco, Mexico, and correlate them with PCV2. A total of 4207 serum samples from 80 farms were analyzed. Epidemiological data were collected and used to investigate factors associated with PCV2 detection. A relative frequency of approximately 30% was detected, primarily in grower pigs maintained on multisite farms. Several production practices, particularly biosecurity measures, were associated with PCV2 on the analyzed farms. Full article

This study assessed saturated mineral oil hydrocarbons (MOSH) and aromatic mineral oil hydrocarbons (MOAH) levels in grower–finisher feeds for pigs supplemented with 5% crude palm oil (CP), crude olive pomace oil (COP), olive pomace acid oil (OPA), or a blend of CP and OPA (50:50, w/w); the contribution of the lipid source to that contamination; and the ability of pigs to accumulate MOH in back fat and loin tissues after 60 days of trial. MOSH and MOAH were analyzed with liquid chromatography (LC)–gas chromatography (GC)–flame ionization detection (FID) after sample preparation. Among the lipid sources, CP had the lowest MOH levels, but CP feeds showed the highest contamination. This, along with the different MOSH profiles, indicated the presence of more significant contamination sources in the feeds than the lipid source. The higher MOH contamination in CP feeds was reflected in the highest MOSH levels in pig back fat, whereas MOAH were not detected in animal tissues. Also, MOSH bioaccumulation in pig tissues was influenced by the carbon chain length. In conclusion, feed manufacturing processes can determine the MOSH contamination present in animal adipose tissues that can be included in human diets. Full article

Inclusion of lysophospholipids (LPL) has been proposed to increase growth performance in broilers and pigs, acting as emulsifiers through mixed micelle formation. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of feeding LPL in weanling pig diets on growth performance and intestinal morphology. Eight hundred pigs (weight 6.96 kg ± SD 1.58 kg) were assigned to one of two dietary treatments, i.e., a basal diet (CON) or a basal diet + 0.05% lysophospholipids (LPL). The experimental period lasted for 42 days, and on days 40 and 41, 32 pigs in total were euthanized for intestinal tissue samples. From days 14 to 21, feed intake and average daily gain increased, as well as FCR, from days 28 to 42, in the LPL group compared with the CON group. In the overall period, no differences in growth performance were present between the groups. However, females displayed increased ADG from days 21 to 28 compared with castrates. The villous height tended (p = 0.051) to be lower in LPL in the proximal jejunum compared with CON. In the proximal jejunum, villus was higher (p > 0.01) in females, and in the distal jejunum, higher crypt cell proliferation (p < 0.01) and a tendency to deeper crypts (p = 0.064) were observed in female pigs as well. In conclusion, lysophospholipids did not increase growth performance in this study; however, the rate of recovery from a poorer starting point was noted, as growth rates recovered and increased faster in the LPL group. In conclusion, unlike the first phase, the LPL group recovered the growth from days 14 to 21 through higher feed intake and weight gain than the CON group. Eventually, the LPL group displayed improved FCR compared with the CON group from days 28 to 42. Further studies are needed to investigate whether this effect continues into the grower–finisher phase. Full article

Maintaining an appropriate concentration of vitamin D is essential for the proper functioning of the body, regardless of age. Nowadays, there are more and more indications that vitamin D supplementation at higher than standard doses may show protective and therapeutic effects. Our study identified differences in the body’s response to long-term supplementation with cholecalciferol at an increased dose. Two groups of pigs were used in the experiment. The first group received a standard dose of cholecalciferol (grower, 2000 IU/kg feed, and finisher, 1500 IU/kg feed), and the second group received an increased dose (grower, 3000 IU/kg feed, and finisher, 2500 IU/kg feed). After slaughter, lung samples were collected and used for RRBS and mRNA sequencing. Analysis of the methylation results showed that 2349 CpG sites had significantly altered methylation patterns and 1116 (47.51%) identified DMSs (Differentially Methylated Sites) were related to genes and their regulatory sites. The mRNA sequencing results showed a significant change in the expression of 195 genes. The integrated analysis identified eleven genes with DNA methylation and mRNA expression differences between the analyzed groups. The results of this study suggested that an increased vitamin D intake may be helpful for the prevention of lung cancer and pulmonary fibrosis. These actions may stem from the influence of vitamin D on the expression of genes associated with collagen production, such as SHMT1, UGT1A6, and ITIH2.The anti-cancer properties of vitamin D are also supported by changes in KLHL3 and TTPA gene expression. Full article

Antibiotics are widely used for prophylaxis and therapy, reducing morbidity and mortality produced by bacterial pathogensin pigs, including infections caused by Escherichia coli. The aim of this study was to characterise antibiotic resistance phenotypes and genotypes in E. coli isolates in pigs in West Romanian grower farms. Differential phenotypic susceptibility profiles and the contribution of resistance genes to phenotypic expression of susceptibility or resistance were evaluated. A total of 76 E. coli isolates were identified and confirmed by the MicroScan Walk Away System. The occurrence of four resistance genes, ampC, blaZ, blaTEM and tetK in strains resistant to 13 antibiotics was assessed. Of the E. coli isolates, 0% showed resistance to meropenem, 3.9% to tigecycline and 10.5% to piperacillin/tazobactam, whereas, in contrast, 100% were resistant to ampicillin and mezlocillin, 76.31% to piperacillin and 59.3% to tetracycline. The prevalence of resistance genes in resistant isolates detected by q-PCR analysis was 97.0% for ampC, 96% for blaZ, 32.9% for blaTEM and 58.8% for tetK. Penetrance (the proportion of individuals carrying a particular variant of a gene that also expresses an associated trait) was 50% for ampC (32% for amoxicillin/clavulanate, 62% for cefazolin, 32% for cefepime, 100% for cefotaxime, 56% for cefuroxime and 99% for ampicillin), 65% for blaZ (32% for amoxicillin/clavulanate and 99% for ampicillin), 51% for blaTEM (81% for piperacillin) and 44% for the tetK gene (83% for tetracycline). The result of phenotypic antibiotic resistance testing may indicate the presence of plasmid-borne resistance, with a diagnostic odds ratio of a positive phenotypic resistance for tetK being 4.52. As a management decision, the maximum penetrance admitted for using a specific antibiotic for E. coli infections in pigs is recommended to be less than 20%. Full article

The objective of the present study was to test the hypothesis of B. subtilis and B. licheniformis supplementation to a negative control diet in comparison to a standard control diet, had the potential to improve the performance and nutrient digestibility of growing–finishing pigs. For this purpose, 384 fattening pigs of 85 d of age were allotted to three treatments: a standard diet, a negative control (NC) diet (5% soybean meal replaced by 5% rapeseed meal), or a NC diet + probiotic. After reaching a body weight of approximately 110 kg, all animals going to the slaughterhouse (87% of total pigs) were selected to measure carcass quality. Moreover, the apparent total tract digestibility of protein was evaluated at the end of the grower period. The results of this study indicate that supplementation of the tested Bacillus-based probiotic significantly improved average daily gain (ADG, +14.6%) and Feed:gain ratio (F:G, −9.9%) during the grower phase compared to the NC diet. The improvement observed during the grower phase was maintained for the whole fattening period (ADG, +3.9%). Probiotic supplementation significantly improved the total apparent faecal digestibility of dry matter and crude protein in pigs at the end of the grower period. The improvements observed with the additive tested could indicate that supplementation of the Bacillus-based probiotic was able to counteract the lower level of crude protein and standardised ileal digestible amino acids in the NC diet by means of improved protein digestibility. Full article

Climate change is associated with an increased frequency and intensity of heat waves, posing a threat of heat stress to pig production. Heat stress compromises the efficiency of pig production partly due to causing oxidative stress, intestinal dysfunction, and inflammatory responses. Superoxide dismutase is an antioxidant enzyme reported to reduce oxidative stress and inflammation. Therefore, this experiment aimed to investigate whether recombinant superoxide dismutase (_rSOD) could ameliorate oxidative stress and inflammatory responses in heat-stressed grower pigs. Sixty-four female pigs (Large White × Landrace, 27.8 ± 1.65 kg, mean ± SD) were randomly allocated to a control diet (standard grower feed, CON) or the control diet supplemented with 50 IU recombinant superoxide dismutase (_rSOD) for 14 days. After acclimation to the diet, pigs were then housed under thermoneutral (TN, 20 °C, 35–50% relative humidity) or cyclic heat stress conditions (_CHS, at 35 °C: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and 28 °C: 5 p.m. to 9 a.m., 35–50% relative humidity) for 3 days. Heat stress increased respiration rate (RR), skin and rectal temperature (RR and RT) (p < 0.001 for all), and reduced plasma thyroid hormone concentration (p < 0.001). The amount of oxidized glutathione (GSH:GSSG) was increased in the jejunum and ileum of _CHS pigs. In the jejunum, _rSOD also increased the amount of oxidized glutathione in both TN and _CHS pigs, without any change in endogenous SOD activity. In the ileum, _rSOD prevented increases in oxidized glutathione formation in the _CHS pigs only. Taken together, this may reflect increased oxidative stress in both the jejunum and ileum in _CHS pigs. Alternatively, _rSOD increased the conversion of reduced to oxidized glutathione independently of _CHS, possibly reflecting an increased overall SOD activity due to the addition of exogenous SOD. In conclusion, the use of in-feed SOD enzymes at a dose of 50 IU/kg may be a useful strategy for preventing oxidative stress in pigs. Full article

This study aimed to determine the effects of the dietary supplementation of chromium methionine (CrMet) and ractopamine (RAC) on pigs in the growing–finishing stage under heat stress. The parameters evaluated included productive behavior, blood components, carcass characteristics, organ weight, and meat quality. This study was conducted during the summer season in Sonora, Mexico. The treatments included: (1) control diet (CON), a base diet (BD) formulated to satisfy the nutritional requirements of pigs; (2) RAC, BD plus 10 ppm RAC supplemented during the last 34 days of the study; (3) CrMet-S, BD supplemented with 0.8 ppm of Cr from CrMet during the last 34 days; and (4) CrMet-L, BD supplemented with 0.8 ppm of Cr from CrMet for an 81 d period. RAC supplementation improved the productive behavior and main carcass characteristics of the pigs compared with CON. However, RAC and CrMet supplementation during the last 34 days showed similar results in terms of weight gain, carcass quality, blood components, organ weight, and meat quality. The addition of CrMet-S had a moderate (although not significant) increase in productive performance and carcass weight. These findings are encouraging, as they suggest that CrMet may be a potential alternative for growth promotion. However, more research is needed. Full article

The nutritional quality of meat and the health-promoting properties of intramuscular fat from randomly selected rearing pigs of the native Puławska breed (PUL, n = 15) and its crossbreeds with the Polish Large White breed (PLW × PUL, n = 16) and the DanBred hybrids (DAN, n = 17) were compared. The typical commercial fattening period was carried out up to 80 days of age. The initial body weight of PUL weaners was 30.55 kg (±3.98 kg), that of PLW × PUL weaners was 30.00 kg (±4.29 kg) and that of DAN weaners was 30.70 kg (±3.40 kg). The protein content and energy value of the complete feeds (Grower and Finisher) were 165 and 155 g/kg, and 12 and 11.8 MJ/kg, respectively. The research material consisted of samples of Longissimus lumborum and Semimembranosus. The chemical analyses included the determination of proximate composition, fatty acid content and amino acid concentration. The lowest fat content was found in the meat of the Puławska pigs, while the highest was found in the DanBred fattening pigs. The highest content of SFAs and MUFAs was found in the meat of DanBred hybrids, while it was significantly lower in Puławska pigs. The genetic group did not affect the content of PUFAs, including n-3 and n-6. Significantly lower and more favourable atherogenic and thrombogenic indices were found for the intramuscular fat of Puławska pigs. The very limited effect of the genetic group on amino acid content was observed, except for that of serine, histidine and lysine. In general, the meat of pigs of the Puławska breed showed the highest nutritional value and the most favourable health-promoting properties. Full article

The aim of this study was to determine how different doses of phytase in diets with extruded soybean seeds and rapeseed meal affected pigs’ growth performance, meat quality, bone mineralization, and fatty acid profiles. Sixty pigs were divided into three treatments by sex and body mass. Pigs were divided into starter (25 days), grower (36 days), and finisher (33 days) periods and fed with mash diets. No phytase was used in the control group diet, whereas in Phy1 and Phy2, 100 g and 400 g of phytase per ton of mixture were used, respectively. The feed conversion ratio and meat color were significantly correlated with phytase. Phytase supplementation had no effect on the growth of pigs, but total phosphorus was significantly increased in the bones and meat of the pigs. The enzyme additive reduced the C22:4 n-6 acid content in the meat, whereas other results were not significantly affected. The data suggest that the addition of phytase at a dosage of 100 g/ton to diets with extruded full-fat soya seeds and rapeseed meal can be valuable, as it reduces the FCR and increases the P content in the meat and bones. Full article

Objective: The study was conducted to assess the effect of supplementation with Lactobacillus lactis (LL) on growth performance, hematological parameters, meat quality and intestinal flora in pigs from growing until slaughter. Methods: A total of 72 growing pigs (30.46 ± 3.08 kg) were randomly assigned to 3 groups (including 3 pens for each group, with 8 pigs in each pen). The three treatments comprised a basal diet (O-0) and two experimental diets supplemented for 14 weeks with 0.01% (O-100) and 0.03% (O-300) LL, respectively. Results: The final body weights of the pigs in the O-100 and O-300 groups were significantly higher (p < 0.05) than those of the O-0 group. In the grower phase, the average daily weight gain (ADG) and average daily feed intake (ADFI) of pigs fed the O-300 diet were higher (p < 0.05) than those of pigs fed the O-0 diet during the grower phase. BUN and MDA were significantly higher (p < 0.05 for all) in the O-0 group than in the O-100 and O-300 groups during the grower phase. No difference (p > 0.05) was observed in the hematological parameters among the three groups during the finisher phase. Counts of LL in the stomach were significantly higher (p < 0.05) in the O-300 group than in the O-0 group. Counts of Escherichia coli in the jejunum were significantly higher (p < 0.05) in the O-0 group than in the O-300 group. Furthermore, the hardness, cohesiveness, gumminess and resilience of longissimus dorsi muscle collected from pigs fed the O-300 diet were higher (p < 0.01; p = 0.024; p = 0.003; p = 0.014, respectively) than those of tissue collected from pigs fed the O-0 diet. Conclusion: Dietary LL supplementation increased final body weight, increased ADG in the grower phase and enhanced meat quality. Full article

The increasing detection of Porcine circovirus 3 (PCV3, family Circoviridae) in clinically ill pigs worldwide has raised concerns on the implications of the virus on porcine health and the pork industry. Although pork production constitutes an important component of the livestock economy and is a major source of animal protein in the Caribbean Islands, there are no reports on PCV3 in pigs from the region so far. In the present study, PCV3 was detected in 21% (21/100) of diarrheic pigs (sampled at three farms) from the Caribbean nation of the Dominican Republic (DR). Although the sample size varied between porcine age groups, the highest PCV3 detection rates (35.3% each, respectively) were observed in piglets and growers. Co-infections with PCV2 and porcine adenovirus were observed in 38.09% and 9.52% of the PCV3 positive samples, respectively. The complete genomes of 11 DR PCV3 strains were analyzed in the present study, revealing a unique deletion (corresponding to nucleotide residue at position 1165 of reference PCV3 sequences) in one of the DR PCV3 sequences. Based on sequence identities and phylogenetic analysis (open reading frame 2 and complete genome sequences), the DR PCV3 strains were assigned to genotype PCV3a, and shared high sequence homologies (>98% identities) between themselves and with those of other PCV3a (Clade-1) strains, corroborating previous observations on the genetic stability of PCV3 worldwide. To our knowledge, this is the first report on the detection and molecular characterization of PCV3 in pigs from the Caribbean region, providing important insights into the expanding global distribution of the virus, even in isolated geographical regions (the Island of Hispaniola). Our findings warrant further investigations on the molecular epidemiology and economic implications of PCV3 in pigs with diarrhea and other clinical conditions across the Caribbean region. Full article

In the present study, the effects of dietary heat-killed Lactobacillus plantarum L-137 (HK L-137) on the productive performance, intestinal morphology, and cytokine gene expression of suckling-to-fattening pigs were investigated. A total of 100 suckling pigs [(Large White × Landrace) × Duroc; 4.5 ± 0.54 kg initial body weight (BW)] were used and assigned to each of the four dietary treatments as follows: (1) a control diet with antibiotics as a growth promoter (AGP) from the suckling phase to the grower phase and no supplement in the finisher phases; (2) a control diet without antibiotics as a growth promoter (NAGP); (3) a control diet with HK L-137 at 20 mg/kg from the suckling phase to the starter phase and no supplement from the grower phase to the finisher phases (HKL1); and (4) a control diet with HK L-137 at 20 mg/kg from the suckling phase to the weaner phase, at 4 mg/kg from the starter phase to the finisher 1 phase, and no supplement in the finisher 2 phase (HKL2). During the weaner–starter period, the pigs fed on the AGP and HKL2 diets showed significantly higher weight gain and average daily gain (ADG) than those in the NAGP group (p < 0.05). The pigs in the AGP, HKL1, and HKL2 groups showed greater ADG than those in the NAGP groups (p < 0.05) throughout the grower–finisher period. The suckling pigs in the HKL1 and HKL2 groups showed a higher platelet count (484,500 and 575,750) than in the others (p < 0.05); however, there were no significant differences in the other hematological parameters among the treatment groups. The relative mRNA expression level of IFN- ß of the suckling and starter pigs were significantly higher in the HKL1 and HKL2 groups than in the others (p < 0.05), while the IFN-γ showed the highest level in the HKL2 suckling pigs (p < 0.05). These results demonstrate that a HK L-137 supplementation could stimulate the immune response in suckling and starter pigs and promote the growth performance in finishing pigs. Full article