The permeability of the immature intestine is higher in newborns than in adults; a damaged gut barrier in young animals increases the susceptibility to digestive and infectious diseases later in life. It is therefore of major importance to avoid impairment of the intestinal barrier, specifically in a delicate phase of development, such as weaning. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of bovine colostrum supplementation on the intestinal barrier, such as the intestinal morphology and proliferation level and tight junctions expression (zonulin) and enteric nervous system (ENS) inflammation status (through the expression of PGP9.5 and GFAP) in fattening rabbits. Rabbits of 35 days of age were randomly divided into three groups (n = 13) based on the dietary administration: commercial feed (control group, CTR) and commercial feed supplemented with 2.5% and 5% bovine colostrum (BC1 and BC2 groups, respectively). Rabbits receiving the BC1 diet showed a tendency to have better duodenum morphology and higher proliferation rates (p < 0.001) than the control group. An evaluation of the zonulin expression showed that it was higher in the BC2 group, suggesting increased permeability, which was partially confirmed by the expression of GFAP. Our results suggest that adding 2.5% BC into the diet could be a good compromise between intestinal morphology and permeability, since rabbits fed the highest inclusion level of BC showed signs of higher intestinal permeability.

This study provides a morphological characterization of the thigh and Semimembranosus muscle (SM) of the Nero di Lomellina (NL) pig, considering two different rearing periods, December-October (rearing period 1) and September-July (rearing period 2), and using a commercial crossbreed (CH) as a reference. Fat content in the thigh was evaluated using computed tomography, while SM characteristics were assessed by comparing muscle fiber area, density, and total number. Fiber type composition was determined by immunofluorescence and molecular analyses through the localization and expression of myosin isoforms, including MyHC I, MyHC IIb, and MyHC IIa/x (red slow oxidative, white fast glycolytic, and intermediate fast oxidative glycolytic fibers, respectively). Additionally, physicochemical analyses were conducted to assess muscle quality. The results showed that both breeds had higher intermuscular fat deposition in the rearing period 2. In period 1, NL pigs exhibited larger muscle fibers than CH pigs, whereas no differences were observed in period 2. Immunofluorescence revealed that CH pigs in period 2 had a higher proportion of red and intermediate fibers, while NL pigs showed no significant changes in fiber composition related to the rearing period. In conclusion, lower temperatures in period 2 promoted an oxidative phenotype in CH, whereas NL pigs showed greater stability across rearing periods and better adaptability to temperature fluctuations. These findings suggest that NL pigs exhibit greater resilience to environmental changes, supporting previous studies on breed-specific responses to temperature variation.

The eye is a sensitive target of sublethal stress in aquaculture-reared fish due to its direct exposure to the aquatic environment. This study tested a photoelectrocatalytic (PEC) water treatment system, integrated into a standard recirculating aquaculture system (RAS), to improve water quality and evaluated ocular health in Oncorhynchus mykiss (rainbow trout) reared at 30 kg/m³ for 28 days, with particular emphasis on the cornea as an indicator of fish welfare. Ocular analyses focused on the cornea and retina, two anatomically and functionally distinct structures. PEC significantly reduced ammonia levels and modulated nitrate concentrations compared to the control group (CTR), represented by a standard RAS. No differences in growth performance or body condition were observed between groups. Corneal integrity was assessed using optical coherence tomography, histology, and mucous cell staining to evaluate epithelial structure and protective responses. Corneal tissue was examined to detect local oxidative effects through morphological analysis and immunohistochemistry for 8-hydroxy-2′-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG). Alcian Blu–Periodic Acid–Schiff (AB–PAS) staining did not reveal significant differences in mucin-producing cells among groups. CTR fish exhibited epithelial disruption and increased 8-OHdG immunoreactivity, whereas fish reared in the RAS equipped with the PEC system, ensuring improved water quality, showed preserved corneal architecture despite mild oxidative stress. Molecular analysis of ocular tissues revealed no differential expression of oxidative stress-related genes, such as GPx1, GR, or sod1, in the two groups. Overall, these findings support the use of the cornea as a sensitive indicator of sublethal environmental stress in farmed fish and suggest that PEC treatment may contribute to improved water quality management and welfare monitoring in intensive aquaculture systems.

Knee osteoarthritis (OA) and obesity are closely linked, with obesity being the primary risk factor for OA. This study used the medial meniscus of sows (250 kg, 4-6 years old) as a model for spontaneous OA, comparing them to lighter pigs (110 kg, 7-8 months old). The joints were collected according to the 3Rs principles (Replacement, Reduction and Refinement) and compared using macroscopic and microscopic analyses, as well as advanced imaging techniques. The results revealed more severe pathological changes in the sows. Micro-computed tomography analyses showed thickening of radial tie fibers in the sows, with volume fraction remaining similar between light pigs and sows. The highest percentage of tie fibers was found in the posterior horn. Magnetic resonance imaging did not detect any medial meniscal lesions. Histological analyses of the meniscal matrix confirmed disorganized collagen fibers and compromised matrix integrity. Additionally, Raman spectral analyses and immunofluorescence on the posterior horn, which is the most susceptible region for OA, revealed that light pigs exhibited a trend towards higher collagen crosslink ratios than sows, indicating differences in matrix maturity, particularly in the inner region. Finally, Substance P-positive nerve fibers grouped into corpuscles and concentrated in the outer third of the menisci in the sows, whereas in light pigs, only nerve fibers were observed. In conclusion, this study demonstrates that sows, develop spontaneous meniscal alterations and suggests that sows could be utilized as a sustainable animal model for studying OA providing insights into the relationship between obesity and joint health.

A feeding trial with alternative protein sources was conducted in gilthead seabream ( Sparus aurata , L.) broodstock fed a control diet and two diets with 5% or 10% inclusion levels of a blend of novel ingredients. The blend is composed of 40% insect ( Hermetia illucens ), 10% duckweed ( Lemna minor ), 45% Nannochloropsis gaditana , and 5% Alaria esculenta meal dry biomass. The animals were reared in a recirculating aquaculture system and administered the experimental diets 3 months before spawning and for a total of 7 months. Fertilized eggs were incubated until hatching and newly hatched larvae were monitored until the yolk sac absorption stage. High inclusion (HI; 10%) of novel ingredients to broodstock resulted in a significantly higher hatching rate, while both groups fed novel ingredients produced offspring with significantly higher survival until the end of the yolk sac stage compared to offspring from parents fed the control diet ( p < 0.05). The inclusion of the protein blend at any level did not produce differences in larval growth. Morphological and histometric analyses in larvae revealed hypertrophic growth during the yolk sac stage. The expression of genes involved in muscle development and growth indicated no differences in growth potential in larvae between groups. Overall, broodstock feeds for gilthead seabream can have an inclusion of novel ingredients without a negative impact on larval performance and growth. Further studies are needed to study the long‐term effects of broodstock diet on offspring quality.

The Nero di Lomellina (NL) pig, a newly established breed from the cross of the Poland China with the Berkshire breed, which was created to reconstitute a local breed called Nero di Cavour, was recognized by the Italian Ministry of Agriculture in 2020 (DM 12222/2020). The objective of this study is to investigate, for the first time, the zootechnical performance and environmental response of the NL breed in comparison with a commercial crossbreed (CH; Large White × Duroc). An evaluation was conducted of a traditional closed-cycle farming system rearing NL and CH mixed in the same units. Pigs were observed for two cycles of 10 months each, one with piglets born in winter and the other in summer, to evaluate the productive performance and stress response through hair cortisol (HCC) levels of the pigs according to environmental conditions. For this purpose, the temperature–humidity index (THI) was calculated for each phase of the two cycles, and the values were compared with the comfort zone values indicated by the Italian Classyfarm values. The NL pigs showed slower growth performance in the first phase, with a high THI (p < 0.05). In the R2 phase, the backfat thickness was higher in the NL than CH pigs (p < 0.001). The CH had consistently higher HCC compared with the NL pigs across the production phases, showing a potential higher response to chronic stress. It is worth noting that the NL weaners and growers seemed to better face a cold environment, referring to their growth performance in comparison with the commercial breed, although the local breeds usually show a slower growth rate and hair cortisol levels during the second cycle, which was characterized by prolonged low temperatures far from the comfort zones. More studies are needed to deepen the influence of the environment, as well as consider the outdoor conditions on the physiological status, productivity, and meat quality of this new breed.