The aim of the present study was to test infrared thermography (IRT), under field conditions, as a possible tool for the evaluation of cow udder health status. Thermographic images (n. 310) from different farms (n. 3) were collected and evaluated using a dedicated software application to calculate automatically and in a standardized way, thermographic indices of each udder. Results obtained have confirmed a significant relationship between udder surface skin temperature (USST) and classes of somatic cell count in collected milk samples. Sensitivity and specificity in the classification of udder health were: 78.6% and 77.9%, respectively, considering a level of somatic cell count (SCC) of 200,000 cells/mL as a threshold to classify a subclinical mastitis or 71.4% and 71.6%, respectively when a threshold of 400,000 cells/mL was adopted. Even though the sensitivity and specificity were lower than in other published papers dealing with non-automated analysis of IRT images, they were considered acceptable as a first field application of this new and developing technology. Future research will permit further improvements in the use of IRT, at farm level. Such improvements could be attained through further image processing and enhancement, and the application of indicators developed and tested in the present study with the purpose of developing a monitoring system for the automatic and early detection of mastitis in individual animals on commercial farms.

We studied the effects of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) on metabolic and immunologic variables in lactating sows and piglets. Gestating sows (n = 16) were assigned to 1 of 2 weight- and parity-matched groups supplemented with 0% (C) or 0.5% (T) of a CLA preparation containing 50% CLA isomers. Supplementation started in late pregnancy and continued throughout lactation. At weaning, 80 piglets, half from each group of sows, were assigned to 0% CLA (C) or 0.5% CLA (T). Thus, there were four groups of 20 piglets: C-C, C-T, T-T, and T-C. Body weight and the number of piglets per litter at birth and weaning, and the chemical composition of colostrum did not differ among the groups. CLA affected the fatty acid composition of colostrum fat; palmitoleic and γ-linolenic acid were significantly lower compared with controls, whereas eicosenoic and eicosatrienoic acids were significantly higher. Feeding CLA increased (P < 0.05) colostrum IgG in sows. Sows fed CLA had higher (P < 0.05) serum leptin, IgG, and lysozyme. Nursing piglets from CLA-fed sows had significantly higher (P < 0.01) serum lysozyme and IgG. Consumption of CLA did not affect postweaning growth. Postweaning piglets fed CLA (T-T, C-T) had a higher IgG titer at 25 d (P < 0.05) and 35 d (P < 0.01) after weaning. Serum lysozyme was also higher at 25 d (P < 0.05) in CLA-fed piglets (T-T, C-T). At 35 d, serum α-1 acylglicoprotein was lower (P < 0.05) in piglets fed CLA. Dietary CLA had a positive effect on immunologic variables in lactating sows and piglets.

The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis of an improved gut environment of post-weaning piglets when administered a blend of essential oils (EO; thymol and cinnamaldehyde) and an enzyme combination (xylanase and β-glucanase (XB)) either alone or in combination. To assess the effect of dietary treatments, faecal nutrient digestibility and microbial counts, as well as ileum histology and gene expression of inflammatory mediators were evaluated. One hundred and ninety-two weaned piglets were allocated into four experimental treatments, and fed the basal diet (CTRL) either without or with EO, XB or their combination (EO+XB) for a 42-day period. The experiment concerning digestibility was designed with two periods (period I: days 15 to 21; period II: days 29 to 35) and the faeces were collected on days 20, 21, 34 and 35. On day 42, six piglets from each treatment were slaughtered. It was found that EO, XB and EO+XB supplementation did not affect (P>0.05) the growth performance of the piglets from days 0 to 42. Moreover, no dietary effect on faecal score was observed. Faecal digestibility of dry matter, organic matter, ash, dietary fibre, lipid, CP and NDF were increased from period I to period II (P<0.01 to P=0.06), while no effect (P>0.05) of EO, XB or their combination on the faecal digestibility was observed at both periods. Compared with the CTRL diet, dietary XB reduced the faecal Lactobacillus and Escherichia coli counts but increased the Lactobacillus to Coliforms ratio on day 42 (P=0.02, 0.03 and 0.03, respectively), and all the additives supplementations decreased the counts of faecal Coliforms on day 42 (P<0.01). XB supplementation increased the villus to crypt ratio (P=0.04) and reduced the mucosal macrophages number (P<0.01) in the ileum compared with the CTRL group, and dietary EO or EO+XB decreased the number of lymphatic follicles (P=0.01 and P<0.01, respectively) and mucosal macrophages (P=0.02 and P<0.01, respectively). In addition, the interleukin (IL)-1α was downregulated in piglets treated with EO+XB compared with the EO group (P=0.02). In conclusion, the administration of EO, XB or their combination was effective in improving ileum histology, and EO+XB supplementation might benefit the modulation of the expression of ileum inflammatory cytokines in piglets.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of mannan oligosaccharides (MOS) on gut health and performance in post-weaning piglets. In total, 40 piglets were divided into two experimental groups and fed a basal diet with (TRT) or without (CON) 0.2% mannan oligosaccharides for 35 days. Growth performance was determined weekly and faecal microbial composition on days 0, 14 and 35. On day 36, histometrical evaluations were performed on duodenal, jejunal, ileal, and colon samples. mRNA gene expression of inflammation-related genes was evaluated in samples of ileal Peyer’s patches (IPP). MOS administration improved feed efficiency in the last two weeks of the trial (p < 0.05), and a decreased clostridia content was found in faeces at day 14 (p = 0.05). TRT piglets showed increased duodenal villi height (p < 0.05), and reduced mRNA levels of Tumour Necrosis Factor α (p < 0.05) and Toll-Like Receptor 4 (p < 0.01) in IPP. Our results suggest beneficial effects of MOS supplementation on gut morphology and the expression of inflammation-related genes in post-weaning piglets, accompanied by increased feed efficiency.

A 6-week experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of dietary oregano powder (OP) supplementation on the growth performance, antioxidant status and meat quality of broiler chicks. A total of 180 one day-old Arbour Acres broilers were randomly divided into 3 treatments with 6 replicates and 10 chicks per replicate. The chicks were fed with basal diet without (CTR), or with 20 mg/kg of virginiamycin (ATB), or with 150 mg/kg of OP. At 21 and 42 days of age, two birds from each cage were selected for sampling. Compared to the CTR group, the OP supplementation increased average daily gain and average daily feed intake during the grower period (p = .047 and .03, respectively) and the whole period (p = .04 and .02, respectively). The supplementation of ATB and OP did not affect the immune organ index of chicks. In addition, dietary OP reduced malondialdehyde content and increased total antioxidant activity (T-AOC) in the serum of chicks at 21 (p < .01) and 42 (p < .01) days of age, and chicks fed OP had higher T-AOC than the ATB chicks at 21 days of age (p < .01). However, no dietary effect was observed on carcase yield, cooking loss, dripping loss, shear force, pH value and meat colour. The results of the present study indicate that dietary OP supplementation could positively improve the growth and systemic antioxidative defence property of broiler chicks, which had potential to act as a growth promoter comparable to antibiotic in broiler chicks.