Weaning is a challenging stage of pig farming. Animals undergo environmental, social and dietary changes leading to weaning stress syndrome. In order to compensate for the detrimental effects of weaning stress, antibiotics and natural extracts are used as feed additives, sometimes without fully understanding the interactions between them or even with low concentrations of mycotoxins that are frequently present in feed. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of fosfomycin (FOS), Cynara scolymus extract (CSE), deoxynivalenol (DON) and their combined administration on intestinal health of weaned piglets. The experiment was designed as a 2 × 2 × 2 factorial arrangement with 3 factors (FOS, CSE and DON treatments), 2 levels each (presence and absence) and 3 repeats. Weaned piglets (n = 24) were randomly divided in groups to receive the different treatments, namely DON administered in diet (50 μg/kg BW), FOS administered into the drinking water (30 mg/kg BW), CSE administered in diet (15 mg/kg BW) and all their combinations. After 15 d, the animals were euthanized and gastrointestinal tract samples were immediately taken to evaluate gastrointestinal pH, Enterobacteriaceae to lactic acid bacteria (E:L) ratio, volatile fatty acid (VFA) concentrations, disaccharidase (lactase, sucrase and maltase) activity, histology (intestinal absorptive area [IAA] and goblet cells count) and mucus ability to adhere pathogenic Escherichia coli. From our results, FOS and CSE treatments, individually or combined, produced a lower E:L ratio, an enhanced production of butyrate, increased disaccharidase activity (particularly maltase), and a greater IAA and goblet cells count along with an increase in pathogenic bacteria adherence to intestinal mucus. Deoxynivalenol did not show interactions with the other factors and its administration produced decreases on VFA, disaccharidase activity and goblet cells count. In conclusion, weaning piglets receiving diets containing FOS, CSE or both exhibited evident beneficial intestinal effects compared to animals receiving diets free from these compounds. On the contrary, the presence of DON at sub-toxic concentrations produced detrimental effects on intestinal health. The knowledge of the physiological and pathological gut changes produced by these compounds contributes to understand their potential productive consequences.

Introduction: Thymol, a phenolic compound present in essential oils, has shown promising pharmacological properties and potential veterinary applications. This systematic review aims to evaluate the pharmacological and toxicological effects of thymol on animals.Materials and methods: A comprehensive search following PRISMA 2020 guidelines was conducted across databases including PubMed, Scopus, Google Scholar, Web of Science, and LILACS. Various health descriptors, medical subject headings terms, and their synonyms were used to identify studies examining thymol's effects in animals, including its in vitro, in vivo, and in silico toxicity, as well as its possible environmental impact. Only relevant experimental studies from the last 12 years were included, provided they assessed thymol itself, one of its primary phytoadditive sources, or a blend where thymol was at least as concentrated as other components. The protocol was registered in Open Science Framework (DOI: https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/B6SF9).Results: A total of 1.472 records were identified, with 176 meeting inclusion criteria. Studies spanned from 2012 to 2024, indicating that thymol exhibits antimicrobial, antiviral, antifungal, antiparasitic, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties, among others. However, thymol displays dose-dependent toxicity, especially at high levels, affecting mainly the liver and kidneys.Discussion: Thymol holds substantial potential as a therapeutic agent in veterinary medicine due to its beneficial effects and relatively low toxicity. Nonetheless, further research is needed to establish safe and effective dosages across different animal species.Systematic review registration: https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/B6SF9.

Early weaning in intensive pig production induces stress, compromising gastrointestinal health. Poor fat digestion results from the piglets’ underdeveloped digestive system. Dietary emulsifiers can enhance fat utilization, and glyceryl polyethylene glycol ricinoleate (GPGR) has been shown to improve pig performance. This study evaluated GPGR’s effects on intestinal health in weaned piglets in a commercial production farm. A total of 380 just weaned (21 days old) piglets were divided in two groups of 190 animals each (in four replicates) that received either a basal diet (control) or a basal diet + 350 g/ton GPGR pharmaceutical formulation as top dress. Blood samples were collected at pre-established days, and intestinal sampling occurred 15 days post-weaning. Plasma cortisol, citrulline, intestinal morphology, mucus quality, enzymatic activity, volatile fatty acids (VFAs), and cecal microbiota were analyzed. GPGR did not alter plasma cortisol but increased citrullinemia (P: 0.024), suggesting greater enterocyte functional mass. GPGR piglets showed improved intestinal morphology (greater villus height, villus height:crypt depth ratio, and intestinal absorption area, p < 0.05) and higher enzymatic maltase activity (p ≤ 0.014). VFAs, bacterial adherence to mucus, and goblet cell counts were unaffected. Dietary GPGR increased Firmicutes and Actinobacteria (P: 0.014 and P: 0.045, respectively) while reducing Proteobacteria (p < 0.001). In conclusion, dietary GPGR promotes intestinal health in weaned piglets by improving epithelial structure, digestive function, and microbiota balance, representing a promising strategy to support piglets in overcoming the early nursery phase.