Search Results (637)

Bacteriophages, or phages, are viruses that infect and kill specific bacteria, offering a promising alternative to antibiotics in livestock production. With growing concerns over antibiotic resistance, phages have gained renewed interest due to their ability to target harmful pathogens without disturbing beneficial gut microbiota. This review explores the application of dietary phage supplementation in monogastric animals, particularly pigs and poultry. In pigs, phage use has demonstrated beneficial effects such as improved growth performance, enhanced gut health, and reduced infections from Salmonella and E. coli. Various delivery methods, including feed and water supplementation, have been studied, with microencapsulation showing promising results for stability and effectiveness. Similarly, in poultry, phages have been successfully used to control pathogens like Salmonella, Campylobacter, and avian pathogenic E. coli, improving gut health, immunity, and overall performance. Several commercial phage products are already in use, demonstrating both safety and efficacy. Despite these advantages, challenges such as a narrow host range, bacterial resistance, and regulatory limitations remain. Therefore, further research is necessary to understand phage–host interactions, optimize delivery strategies, and evaluate long-term effects under normal and disease-free conditions. This review highlights the potential of bacteriophages as safe, targeted, and sustainable alternatives to antibiotics in monogastric animal production, contributing to improved animal health and reduced antibiotic use. Full article

Constipation is a common issue in sows, characterized by dry and hard feces or prolonged absence of defecation, which exerts adverse effects on the overall health and reproductive performance of sows. While dietary neutral detergent fiber (NDF), due to its physicochemical properties, can enhance satiety and promote gastrointestinal health. The present study aims to determine the effect of different dietary NDF intake levels on reducing constipation without impairing the reproductive capacity of gestating sows. A total of 110 primiparous crossbred gilts (Landrace × Yorkshire) were randomly assigned to five groups with different NDF levels of 19.28% (Group A), 21.36% (Group B), 22.08% (Group C), 22.67% (Group D), and 23.43% (Group E), respectively. The daily feed intake was adjusted across groups to ensure a gradual increase in NDF intake from Group A to Group E, while maintaining consistent intake of other nutrients. The results revealed that dietary higher NDF intake (Groups D and E) significantly reduced the rates of constipation and stereotypic behaviors in gilts (p < 0.05). The experiment lasted for two parities, starting from day 30 of the first parity gestation to the end of parturition in the second parity. During the second parity, all groups were fed the same diet, and only the reproductive performance of the sows was observed and recorded. Notably, NDF intake had no significant effect on gilts’ first-parity reproductive performance. This study confirms that an appropriate increase in dietary NDF intake can alleviate constipation in gilts. This finding provides critical, targeted references for optimizing nutritional strategies in primiparous gilt management, filling the void in tailored dietary guidelines for this understudied group and offering a practical solution to balance production efficiency and animal stress in commercial pig farming. Full article

Background/Objectives: Porcine Circovirus Type 2 (PCV2) and Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae are primary pathogens causing respiratory disease in pigs. Recently, a Ready-to-Use bivalent PCV2 and M. hyopneumoniae vaccine has been registered in China. The aim of this randomized, side-by-side trial was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of this vaccine under field conditions in a Chinese commercial pig farm. Methods: In total, 938 piglets were allocated to three groups—A (tested vaccine), B, C—and vaccinated according to different schemes. Efficacy was assessed by Average Daily Gain (ADG), pneumonia lesions at slaughter and PCV2 viremia. Systemic reactions were recorded after vaccination to evaluate safety. Results: ADG was higher in group A compared with other vaccination schemes. The prevalence of pneumonia lesions was significantly lower in group A. PCV2 viremia was overall low in all groups, with no reported differences. No severe or moderate systemic reactions were observed after vaccination. Only four pigs showed mild reactions (A: 2/320, B: 2/309; C: 0/309). Conclusions: Under these conditions, the tested vaccine was proved to be efficacious in increasing ADG and reducing pneumonia at slaughter by protecting against both PCV2 and M. hyopneumoniae field infections. It can also be concluded that the Ready-To-Use bivalent vaccine was safe. Full article

Background: Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) is a highly contagious viral disease of cloven-hoofed animals such as cattle and pigs, characterized by vesicular lesions in the mouth, nose, teats, and feet. Globally, the most commonly used FMD vaccines are inactivated vaccines produced by chemical inactivation of the infectious FMD virus (FMDV). This study aimed to establish an infectious clone of the O/Boeun/SKR/2017 virus that has demonstrated the highest antigen productivity among the various type O vaccine strains developed in South Korea to date. Methods: An infectious clone was generated from a type O virus isolated during the 2017 FMD outbreak in South Korea. The viral genome was divided into two fragments, each amplified separately, and subsequently ligated to produce a full-length infectious clone. Results: Rescue of infectious FMDV was confirmed using a commercial antigen detection kit and electron microscopy. Under optimized culture conditions, the rescued virus titer reached 2 × 10⁷ TCID₅₀/mL, and the antigen yield was 6.4 µg/mL. Following inactivation, the antigen was formulated into a vaccine and administered to pigs. Four weeks post-vaccination, challenge with the live virus resulted in no clinical symptoms, demonstrating complete protective efficacy. Conclusions: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report describing the construction of an infectious clone derived from a field FMDV isolate in South Korea and its application in vaccine development. The O/Boeun/SKR/2017 infectious clone may serve as a genetic backbone for the rapid generation of new FMD vaccine candidates with high antigen productivity by substituting epitopes from other FMDV. Full article

Pork is a major source of animal protein worldwide, and its quality is influenced by pre- and post-slaughter procedures. Advances in molecular biology, particularly gene expression studies, support genetic improvement programs by enabling precise strategies to enhance meat quality and economic sustainability. This study evaluated meat quality traits and candidate gene expression in muscle and subcutaneous adipose tissue from different genetic lineages and sexes. A total of 120 pigs from three lineages—Line D (½ Duroc × ½ DB90), Line P (½ Pietrain × ½ DB90), and Line H (½ [Duroc and Pietrain] × ½ DB90); including immunocastrated males (IM) and females, were randomly selected. Meat quality was assessed using physicochemical parameters, and gene expression analysis was performed in 36 pigs using RT-qPCR with B2M, TBP, and RPL4 as references, and COL1A1, PRKAR2A, CAST, ADIPOQ, and PPARGC1A as targets. Lineage influenced drip loss and intramuscular fat, while lineage–sex interaction affected tenderness and color (L* and b*), and sex influenced b*. In muscle, sex affected COL1A1 and PRKAR2A, and lineage influenced COL1A1 and CAST. In adipose tissue, only CAST was lineage-dependent. Full article

The intensive development of livestock and poultry farming has heavily relied on antibiotics, leading to widespread antimicrobial resistance and posing serious threats to food safety and public health. As the industry transitions towards reduced antibiotic use and sustainable animal production, probiotics and their metabolites have garnered attention as functional alternatives. Probiotics are typically administered in the form of microecological preparations by mixing them into feed or water, offering advantages in cost-effectiveness and ease of use, with demonstrated efficacy in promoting animal health. Swine-derived probiotics, in particular, demonstrate host-specific advantages due to their natural adaptation to the porcine gastrointestinal environment, which improves intestinal colonization, pathogen inhibition, and immune modulation. Their metabolites, including short-chain fatty acids, bacteriocins, and exopolysaccharides, further contribute to these benefits through antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and barrier-strengthening effects. Recent studies have demonstrated improvements in average daily gain (18–22%) and feed conversion ratio (12–15%), along with a reduction in diarrhea incidence (up to 40–45%) in weaned piglets supplemented with certain probiotic consortia. It should be noted, however, that part of the supporting evidence is derived from in vitro or non-porcine models, and practical outcomes in swine may vary depending on husbandry conditions, probiotic strain, and husbandry conditions. This review systematically summarizes the isolation and identification of swine-derived probiotics, the active components and functions of their metabolites, and the mechanisms of action and application effects of these metabolites as antibiotic-alternative feed additives. It primarily focuses on innovative research advances in probiotic metabolites for enhancing antibacterial activity and improving pig growth performance. Furthermore, the review discusses the prospects for commercial applications and future research directions, aiming to provide theoretical foundations and technical references for green and healthy farming practices. Full article

Pig growth is an economically important trait regulated by multiple genes and signaling pathways. To explore the molecular mechanisms underlying muscle growth, RNA sequencing was conducted to compare the transcriptomic profiles of the longissimus dorsi muscle between indigenous Liaoning Black pigs (CH) and commercial Duroc pigs (HD). Muscle samples from six CH (three males and three females) and six HD (three males and three females) pigs were analyzed. Functional annotation, Gene Ontology (GO) and KEGG enrichment, and protein–protein interaction (PPI) analyses were performed. Sequencing yielded 12 high-quality datasets (Q20 > 97%, Q30 > 93%). Comparative analysis identified 5051 DEGs in females (CHF vs. HDF; 2310 upregulated and 2681 downregulated) and 9972 DEGs in males (CHM vs. HDM; 4984 upregulated and 4988 downregulated). GO terms were mainly enriched in organonitrogen compound and protein metabolic processes, while KEGG pathways were enriched in focal adhesion and insulin signaling. PPI analysis highlighted hub genes ITGB1, SRC, MYL2, PRKACA, and MAPK3. qPCR validation showed strong agreement with RNA-seq data. These findings provide valuable insights into the molecular basis of divergent muscle growth between pig breeds. Full article

The HN pig, indigenous to Henan Province, is distinguished by its reduced lean meat yield and slower growth rates relative to commercial foreign breeds. To address these limitations, three hybrid combinations were generated through the crossbreeding of Huainan sows with Yorkshire, Landrace, and Berkshire sires. In this study, extensive transcriptomic and metabolomic analyses of the LD muscle were carried out for the first time, and carcass and meat quality characteristics were compared between hybrid and HN pigs. Slaughter and muscle quality assessments revealed that the lean meat percentage of LH and YH was significantly lower than that of HN, with YH exhibiting the lowest intramuscular fat level, indicating that this breed possesses enhanced lean meat production efficiency. Transcriptomic profiling revealed markedly increased expression of SLIT2, CH25H, NR4A2, NR4A1, FOSB, CRABP2, GDF10, and MRAP2 in all three hybrid groups compared to HN. Gene Ontology enrichment analysis identified that the skeletal muscle cell differentiation (GO:0035914) and transforming growth factor beta receptor signaling pathway (GO:0007179) were exclusively enriched in the YH vs. HN comparison. Non-targeted metabolomic analysis identified 31, 36, and 12 DAMs in BH vs. HN, LH vs. HN, and YH vs. HN comparisons, with pyruvate metabolism being the sole pathway common to all groups. An integrated multi-omics analysis revealed significant correlations between phytosphingosine levels and DEGs across all three comparisons. In summary, these results indicate that crossbreeding substantially improves lean meat yield in HN pigs while providing novel molecular insights into the underlying genetic and metabolic mechanisms. Full article

African swine fever (ASF), caused by the African swine fever virus (ASFV), is an acute, febrile, highly contagious, and lethal disease that poses a severe threat to the global pig farming industry. Currently, no globally recognized, safe, and effective commercial ASF vaccine has been developed, making vaccination a crucial strategy for outbreak control. The ASFV structural proteins p72, p30, and p54 are key targets for vaccine development. In this study, we developed a novel baculovirus vector-based system for surface display of a recombinant protein comprising epitopes from p72, p30, and p54. Upon infection, the recombinant protein was expressed and anchored on the plasma membrane of Sf-9 cells. Purified virus analysis revealed that the Bac-recombinant protein enhanced gene delivery and transgene expression in mammalian cells compared to the Bac-Wild Type (Bac-WT). In a murine model, the Bac-recombinant protein induced significantly higher IFN-γ and IL-4 levels than Bac-p30 and the negative control. However, further evaluation in swine models is required to confirm its protective potential against ASFV. Furthermore, it also elicited a robust antibody response, generating high-titer Bac-recombinant protein-specific antibodies. Therefore, these findings suggest that the ASFV Bac-recombinant protein is a promising candidate for a vector-based vaccine. Full article

This study explored the feasibility of noninvasive blood glucose (BG) estimation using near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy with dog blood samples. A sensor module employing three representative wavelengths (770 nm, 850 nm, and 970 nm) was tested on an artificial blood vessel (ABV) and a thin pig skin (TPS) model. BG concentrations were adjusted through dilution and enrichment with injection-grade water and glucose solution, and reference values were obtained from three commercial invasive glucometers. Correlations between NIR spectral responses and glucose variations were quantitatively evaluated using linear, multiple, partial least squares (PLS), logistic regression, regularized linear models, and multilayer perceptron (MLP) analysis. The results revealed distinct negative correlations at 850 nm and 970 nm, identifying these wavelengths as promising candidates for noninvasive glucose sensing. Furthermore, an NIR–glucose database generated from actual dog blood was established, which may serve as a valuable resource for the development of future noninvasive glucose monitoring systems. Full article

Despite lower birth weight, Meishan piglets exhibit a notably higher pre-weaning survival rate compared to Western commercial breeds. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of low birth weight (LBW) on intestinal barrier function in Meishan neonates. Six pairs of neonatal piglets (one normal birth weight, NBW: 0.85 ± 0.06 kg; one LBW: 0.65 ± 0.02 kg) from the same sow were euthanized at birth prior to suckling. Morphological parameters, goblet cell density, antioxidant enzyme activities, cytokine gene expression, and tight junction protein levels in the small intestine (SI) were assessed. Results showed that LBW piglets had a significantly higher SI length-to-body weight ratio (p < 0.05), along with reduced villus height, villus height-to-crypt depth ratio, and villus surface area in the jejunum and ileum (p < 0.01). Notably, microvillus structure remained intact despite the presence of mitochondrial swelling. LBW piglets also exhibited decreased goblet cell numbers, lower antioxidant capacity, dysregulated expression of cytokines (CD8, IFNγ, IL4, IL2), and reduced levels of mucin 2, ZO-1, and occludin (p < 0.05). In conclusion, although LBW Meishan piglets showed impairments in multiple aspects of intestinal barrier function, the structural integrity of the microvillus was preserved, which may contribute to their higher survival rate and represents a key adaptive advantage over commercial pig breeds. Full article

Background: Sow reproductive performance is a critical parameter for the productivity of commercial pig farms. Gut microbiota is associated with performance in sow reproduction. At least, under healthy conditions, microbial metabolites from the gut microbiota are considered major contributors to host physiological regulation and productivity. However, information on the differences in gut-derived metabolites related to the sow reproductive performance remain scarce. Our aim was to investigate the relationship between the reproductive performance and microbial metabolite levels in sow’s feces and plasma. Methods: We selected four commercial farms: two with high- (group H) and two with low-reproductive performance (group L). Sows had their feces and blood collected. Results: Except for the iso-butyrate concentration, fecal short-chain fatty acid concentrations remained unchanged between groups. Among intestinal putrefactive metabolites, the indole concentration was higher (p < 0.05) in group H. The concentrations of plasma metabolites p-cresyl sulfate, p-cresyl glucuronide and trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO) were higher (p < 0.05) in group L than in group H, while the opposite was true for the acetate concentration (p < 0.05). Among plasma biochemicals, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha and potassium concentrations were higher (p < 0.05) in group L. Conclusions: Blood metabolites, especially gut microbiota-derived metabolites, seemed to be associated with the performance related to sow reproduction. Particularly, harmful metabolites such as p-cresyl glucuronide, p-cresyl sulfate and TMAO were of importance, because they are potentially inflammation factors. In fact, TNF-alpha was stimulated in group L. According to our results, we estimated that p-cresyl glucuronide, p-cresyl sulfate, TMAO and TNF-alpha could be useful physiological indicators to understand sow reproductive performance. Full article

Background/Objectives: Classical swine fever (CSF) is listed by the World Organisation for Animal Health as a highly devastating and contagious pig disease, causing severe economic losses to the swine industry. In spite of the successful elimination of CSF in Taiwan, preparedness against potential reintroduction remains essential. The live attenuated vaccines have been effective in disease control, but are not capable of a viable strategy that differentiates infected from vaccinated animals (DIVA). Subunit vaccines are recognized for their safety and ability to induce protective immunity against infectious diseases. Methods: In this study, the recombinant CSF virus (CSFV) E2 proteins were formulated with a CpG motif as an adjuvant to produce the E2-CpG subunit vaccine. Its efficiency in specific-pathogen-free (SPF) pigs was compared with a commercially available E2 subunit vaccine (Bayovac^® CSF-E2; Bayer Taiwan Co., Ltd., Taipei City, Taiwan). Results: Significantly higher titers of anti-E2 antibodies were induced in pigs immunized with a single dose of the E2-CpG vaccine, particularly the reduced E-0.5A formulation, than those immunized with a dose of the commercialized E2 subunit vaccine adjusted to double dosage. This designed subunit vaccine showed high efficacy in protection against clinical symptoms and significant pathological alterations in pigs after a highly virulent CSFV (genotype 1.1) challenge. Viral shedding was not detected in vaccinated pigs before completion of the challenge study, and the viral load in their spleens remained undetectable. Conclusions: These results could support the potential of the E2-CpG vaccine as a cost-effective, single-dose subunit vaccine capable of inducing robust CSFV-specific immunity and providing 100% protection against lethal CSFV challenges. Full article

Background: Porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) is the primary pathogen responsible for postweaning multisystemic wasting syndrome (PMWS) and related diseases, leading to significant economic losses in the global pig industry. Methods: This study conducted a thorough epidemiological survey between 2022 and 2024, gathering 6600 samples from 24 large-scale pig farms in Hubei Province. On the basis of these findings, the immune response and economic benefits of two representative commercial PCV2 subunit vaccines, recombinant baculovirus CP08 and Ingelvac CircoFLEX^®, were assessed in a modern fattening farm in Xiangyang city. Results: The results indicated no detection of viral antigens in sows; however, weaned piglets and fattening pigs presented high positivity rates, with 8-week-old nursery pigs identified as the peak period for infection. Both vaccines significantly improved average weight gain and reduced antigen positivity, with Ingelvac CircoFLEX^® demonstrating superior viral control and economic returns. Conclusions: This study offers valuable scientific and practical guidance for PCV2 control strategies and vaccine selection in Hubei and comparable regions. Full article

Improving feed efficiency (FE) is essential for enhancing productivity, reducing production costs, and minimizing environmental impacts in the swine industry. Fecal microbiota and their metabolites play important roles in nutrient metabolism and energy utilization. This study aimed to investigate the fecal microbiota and associated metabolites in pigs with divergent feed conversion ratios (FCR). Fecal samples were collected from 20 Duroc × (Landrace × Yorkshire) (DLY) commercial pigs exhibiting extremely high (HFCR, n = 10) and low (LFCR, n = 10) FCR for analysis using 16S rRNA gene sequencing and liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC-MS). The microbiota analysis revealed significantly higher abundances of Ruminococcus, Prevotella, Akkermansia, and Eubacterium in LFCR pigs (p < 0.05), while pathogenic bacteria predominated in HFCR pigs (p < 0.05). LC-MS metabolomics identified significant variations in metabolites involved in steroid hormone biosynthesis and primary bile acid metabolism between the two groups (p < 0.05). Spearman correlation analysis further demonstrated significant positive correlations between Ruminococcaceae_NK4A214_group and [Eubacterium]_coprostanogenes_group with bile acid metabolites, as well as between Akkermansia and steroid hormone synthesis (p < 0.05). These findings suggest a potential role for specific microbes and metabolites that are associated with feed efficiency, and warrant validation in pig feeding trials and fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT). Full article