Homeopathy is widely used as a complementary therapy, but its effects on the behavior of production animals remain underexplored. This study evaluated the influence of a homeopathic complex on the behavior of castrated male and female piglets in the nursery phase. The experiment lasted 35 days and involved 105 animals. Piglets were allotted to five treatments in a completely randomized block design with seven replicates using three piglets per experimental unit. Tested treatments were: negative control—basal diet without additives; basal diets with 4.5, 6.0, 7.5, and 9.0 kg/ton of the homeopathic complex in the feed. Behavioral tests included open field (OF), novel object (NO), sociability, discriminative learning, judgment bias, and reactivity during weighing (RDW). Vocalizations were lower in females than males during the OF test (p = 0.016). In the RDW test, a trend was identified (p = 0.076): as the level of the homeopathic complex increased, escape attempts decreased in females and increased in males (sex × treatment interaction). Females also showed greater resistance to movement (p = 0.018). Our study suggests that the homeopathic complex does not impact the behavior of castrated male and female nursery piglets. The findings further illustrate that the sex of the animals affects their behavior, with females displaying higher levels of inactivity compared to castrated male piglets.

This study aimed to assess the effect of exogenous carbohydrases (α-amylase or β-mannanase) in diets with reduced levels of metabolizable energy (ME) containing or not xylanase-phytase on the behavioral traits of grower and finisher pigs. In the first experiment, 42 crossbred male pigs (Landrace × Large White), initially weighing 25.81± 0.20 kg, were allotted to a completely randomized design with six treatments, seven replications, and one pig per pen as the experimental unit (UE). The treatments consisted of the combination of two classes of a-amylase (no enzyme and enzyme-added at 100 g α-amylase ton-1 diet) and three levels of ME reduction (0, 50, and 100 kcal of ME kg-1). In the second experiment, 40 crossbred male pigs (Landrace × Large White), initially weighing 26.0 ± 0.9 kg, were allotted to a randomized block design with four treatments, ten replications, and one animal per EU. The experimental treatments containing xylanase and valued at 40 kcal ME kg-1 were: reference diet (RD) with no β-mannanase supplementation and RD containing 300 g β-mannanase t-1 and reduced by 30, 45 and 60 kcal of ME kg-1, comprising a total energy reduction (β-mannanase and xylanase) as follows: 0 + 40 (RD40), 30 + 40 (RD70), 45 + 40 (RD85), and 60 + 40 (RD100). The behavioral observations of grower and finisher pigs were recorded via closed-circuit video cameras installed in the upper part of the shed. In experiment I, an interaction between amylase enzyme (ENZ) and dietary ME reduction (ENZ*ME) was observed (P < 0.05) on the frequency (%) of standing, idleness, sleeping, and interactive behaviors in grower I pigs. Similarly, an interaction between ENZ and ME was observed for standing, lying down, feeding, and interactive behaviors in grower II pigs. There was an effect of ENZ*EM (P < 0.05) on lying down and interactive behavior in finisher I pigs and on standing, feeding, drinking, and sleeping behaviors in finisher II pigs. In the second experiment, there was an effect (P < 0.05) of energy valorization matrix (EVM) for β-mannanase in the idleness behavior of grower II pigs and on standing, lying down, idleness, and feeding behaviors in finisher II pigs. Including 100 g α-amylase t-1 in diets reduced by up to 50 kcal of ME kg-1 increases the feed intake frequency of grower II pigs. Including 300 g β-mannanase and 400 g xylanase t-1 in diets reduced by 70 and 85 kcal ME per kg increases the percentage of feed intake of finisher II pigs.

Enzyme-supplemented diets can influence the intestinal microbiome in an intricate interplay with the immune system. Therefore, the effects of β-mannanase supplementation in metabolizable energy (ME)-reduced diets containing xylanase were investigated on cytokine concentrations and fecal microbiota profile in lactating sows (n = 60, 248.4 ± 2.4 kg) assigned to a randomized block design with three dietary treatments: a diet containing xylanase (Control; reduction of 40 kcal of ME/kg, CD40), CD40 + β-mannanase (0.3 g/kg) and a reduction of 45 [...] ABSTRACT Enzyme-supplemented diets can influence the intestinal microbiome in an intricate interplay with the immune system. Therefore, the effects of β-mannanase supplementation in metabolizable energy (ME)-reduced diets containing xylanase were investigated on cytokine concentrations and fecal microbiota profile in lactating sows (n = 60, 248.4 ± 2.4 kg) assigned to a randomized block design with three dietary treatments: a diet containing xylanase (Control; reduction of 40 kcal of ME/kg, CD40), CD40 + β-mannanase (0.3 g/kg) and a reduction of 45