Besides meat, pig organs are traditionally consumed in Asia. However, they can be a source of food poisoning. Less is known about the microbiome associated with different organ meats and the inter-animal variation in the microbiomes of organs. The aim of this pilot study was to characterize and compare the bacterial composition in fresh pig meat and organs (i.e., tonsils, lungs, and spleen) and blood from several carcasses using 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing as a screening method. We also investigated how closely the bacterial composition of the meat and organ samples was related to the gut bacterial community and the bacterial communities on the hands of the workers at different positions during meat processing. Meat, organ, blood, and gut (cecum and feces) samples were collected from 12 carcasses in two batches (n = 6/batch), along with swab samples (n = 4/batch) from the hands of the workers at different positions along the processing chain, from which DNA was extracted. The results for the bacterial diversity showed that each sample type (meat, organ, and blood) comprised a unique taxonomic composition (p < 0.05). Moreover, the data confirmed great inter-animal and batch variation for the meat, organs, and blood, which is helpful information for implementing strategies to enhance hygiene measures at pig farms and slaughterhouses, and hence food safety and quality. The genera associated with food safety and spoilage, such as Anoxybacillus, Acinetobacter, Pseudomonas, Campylobacter, and Streptococcus, were also different between the meat, organs, and blood. The bacterial communities in the gut samples distinctly clustered from communities in the pig organs and meat, whereas some overlaps in community clusters between lung, meat, and hand samples existed. This study demonstrates that the spleen, tonsils, and lungs contained more bacterial genera that comprise pathogenic strains than meat cuts, supporting the need to monitor their microbiome composition as potential contamination sources for food safety and spoilage reasons.

Porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) is a major swine pathogen causing significant economic losses in the swine industry worldwide. Continual monitoring of genetic and antigenic diversity is essential for the early detection of emerging variants. This study investigates the evolutionary dynamics and genetic variation of PCV2 circulating in Thailand and across Asia from 2007 to 2024, using integrated phylogenetic and phylodynamic analyses. Analysis of 2739 PCV2 genomes, after excluding 0.99% recombinant strains, revealed four main groups circulating in Asia, with PCV2d as the predominant genotype. PCV2d has diversified into several distinct clades, including a recently identified variant with the ¹³³ HDAM ¹³⁶ amino acid motif, which likely originated from earlier variants, the ¹³³ ANAL ¹³⁶ and ¹³³ ATAL ¹³⁶ motifs. Recombination analysis detected intragenotypic recombination events within PCV2d strains circulating in Thailand, emphasizing the role of genetic recombination in driving the evolutionary changes of the virus. Phylodynamic analysis demonstrated significant fluctuations in the virus population size, correlating with changes in genotype dominance over time. Selective pressure analysis identified positively selected sites in the capsid protein (codons 63, 131, 134, 169, and 190), indicating ongoing adaptation under host immune pressures. Structural modeling and epitope analyses revealed mutations affecting antigenic sites and immune recognition, suggesting concerns for vaccine efficacy. This integrated approach enhances our understanding of PCV2 evolution, informing strategies for effective vaccine development and disease control.

Background: Decreased feed intake is a common stress response presented after weaning that leads to a negative effect on performances. Health management and feed supplementation were commonly used to solve such problems. The objectives of this research were to study the effects of nutritional stress and the benefit of fermented potato protein supplementation in intact nursery gilts. Methods: Prepubertal nursery gilts were assigned into the following feed treatments for 30 days: 1) normal feed, 2) normal feed with fermented potato protein (FPP) supplementation, 3) restricted feed which received 60% amount of normal feed and 4) restricted feed with FPP supplementation. Result: Serum IGF-1 and IGF1 mRNA expression of semitendinosus muscle were significantly increased by FPP supplementation (P less than 0.05). All pig groups showed no different on serum cortisol and hypothalamic Kiss1 mRNA expression levels. The degree of feed restriction was suggested to be an important determinant of response of serum IGF-1, cortisol and hypothalamic Kiss1 mRNA expression. In this study, an elevated serum IGF-1 concentration correlated with IGF1 mRNA upregulation in a muscle rather than in a liver.

Background/Objectives: Porcine epidemic diarrhea (PED) is a highly contagious enteric disease caused by porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) and is associated with severe clinical signs and high mortality in neonatal piglets. Vaccination is an important strategy for PED control through the induction of humoral immunity. This study aimed to compare immune responses induced by inactivated and live-attenuated PEDV vaccines and to evaluate a heterologous prime-boost vaccination strategy in PEDV-naïve replacement gilts. Methods: Twenty-four PEDV-naïve replacement gilts were randomly assigned to four groups: unvaccinated control, inactivated vaccine administered twice (K/K), live-attenuated vaccine administered twice (L/L), and live-attenuated priming followed by an inactivated booster (L/K). Pigs received two intramuscular vaccinations at 16 weeks of age and two weeks later. Serum samples collected up to 42 days post-vaccination were analyzed for PEDV-specific IgG and IgA antibodies by ELISA, and serum-neutralizing antibody titers were determined using a serum neutralization test. Results: The L/K regimen induced the highest PEDV-specific IgG responses, with peak levels at day 28 post-vaccination that were significantly higher than those in the K/K and control groups. Serum-neutralizing antibody titers were significantly higher in the L/K and L/L groups than in the K/K and control groups. Serum IgA responses were low and transient across all vaccination groups. Conclusions: A heterologous prime-boost vaccination strategy using a live-attenuated PEDV vaccine followed by an inactivated booster induces strong systemic humoral immune responses in replacement gilts and represents a promising approach for PEDV vaccination programs.

Background and Aim: Metabolic adaptation during the transition period is a major determinant of reproductive performance in dairy cows. Insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), a key regulator of the somatotropic axis, links nutritional status with endocrine function and postpartum reproductive recovery. Fermented potato protein (FPP), a value-added agro-industrial by-product, has improved protein digestibility and may contain bioactive compounds that modulate metabolic pathways. However, its effects on endocrine regulation and reproductive performance in tropical crossbred dairy cattle remain poorly understood. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of FPP supplementation on serum IGF-1 concentrations, skeletal muscle IGF-1 mRNA expression, and the interval from calving to first postpartum estrus. Materials and Methods: Two experiments were conducted. In Experiment 1, ten clinically healthy Bos taurus × Bos indicus crossbred dairy heifers were randomly assigned to either a control group or an FPP-supplemented group (30 g/head/day; n = 5/group) for 45 days. Serum IGF-1 concentrations were quantified using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, whereas skeletal muscle IGF-1 mRNA expression was determined by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. In Experiment 2, twenty-four transition dairy cows (parity 1-2; n = 12/group) received either the basal diet or FPP supplementation from 3 weeks prepartum to 6 weeks postpartum. The interval from calving to first postpartum estrus was monitored using an automated pedometer and confirmed by transrectal ultrasonography. Results: FPP supplementation significantly increased serum IGF-1 concentrations on day 30 (17.97 ± 4.93 vs. 7.82 ± 0.87 ng/mL; p = 0.016) and day 45 (18.45 ± 4.13 vs. 7.72 ± 0.75 ng/mL; p = 0.016), whereas no significant differences were observed on days 0 and 15 (p > 0.05). Skeletal muscle IGF-1 mRNA expression did not differ between groups (0.82 ± 0.07 vs. 0.84 ± 0.14; p = 0.90). Cows supplemented with FPP exhibited a numerically shorter interval from calving to first postpartum estrus than controls (43.83 ± 2.40 vs. 50.00 ± 2.06 days), although the difference was not statistically significant (p = 0.06). Conclusion: FPP supplementation increased circulating IGF-1 concentrations without altering skeletal muscle IGF-1 mRNA expression, suggesting that its biological effects are mediated primarily by systemic endocrine regulation rather than by local tissue-specific mechanisms. Although improvement in postpartum reproductive recovery was not statistically significant, the concurrent increase in circulating IGF-1 and shorter estrus interval indicate that FPP may represent a sustainable nutritional strategy for improving metabolic adaptation in tropical dairy cattle. Larger studies are warranted to confirm its reproductive benefits and establish its role in precision nutritional management. Keywords: agro-industrial by-product, dairy cattle, endocrine regulation, fermented potato protein, insulin-like growth factor-1, postpartum estrus, reproductive performance, somatotropic axis.