Nutraceutical Additives Modulate Microbiota and Gut Health in Post-Weaned Piglets.

Due to the challenge of weaning pigs and the need to reduce the use of antimicrobials in animal feed, there is a growing need to look for nutraceutical alternatives to reduce the adverse effects of the post-weaning period. We evaluate the effect of different feed nutraceutical additives on the microbial communities, gut health biomarkers, and productivity of pigs during the post-weaning period. The study involved 240 piglets weaned on the 21st day of age and randomized to six different diets: D1-BD commercial standard feed, D2-AGP: D1 + 150 ppm zinc bacitracin, D3-MD: D1 + 550 ppm maltodextrin, D4-FOS: D1 + 300 ppm fructo-oligosaccharides, D5-EO: D1 + 70 ppm essential oil, and D6-SH: D1 + 750 ppm sodium humate.

Disinfection of Maternal Environments Is Associated with Piglet Microbiome Composition from Birth to Weaning.

Maternal factors predetermine offspring development and health, including the establishment of offsprings' first microbiomes. Research in swine has shown that early microbial exposures impact microbiome colonization in piglets, but this phenomenon has never been tested in the context of delivery room disinfection. Thus, we exposed gestating sows to two delivery environments ( = 3/environment): stalls cleaned with a broad-spectrum disinfectant (disinfected environment [D]) or stalls cleaned only with hot-water power washing (nondisinfected environment [Nde]), 3 days prior to farrowing.

In-silico design and molecular docking evaluation of peptides derivatives from bacteriocins and porcine beta defensin-2 as inhibitors of Hepatitis E virus capsid protein.

Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is considered the main etiological agent that causes acute hepatitis. It is estimated that 20 million cases occur annually worldwide, reaching mortality rates of 28% in pregnant women. To date, available treatments and vaccines have not been entirely effective.

Phylogenetic analysis of Hepatitis E virus strains isolated from slaughter-age pigs in Colombia.

Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is a zoonotic virus that causes acute hepatitis in humans, and can be transmitted via the fecal-oral route. Pigs are considered to be a reservoir for this infection-mainly where the disease is not endemic. In a previous study conducted in Antioquia, which is a region in Colombia where the production and consumption of pork meat is higher than in the rest of the country, the presence of anti-HEV IgG-type antibodies was reported in slaughter-age pigs.