Aims To evaluate the applicability of the Mimosa tenuiflora and Eucalyptus urograndis pyroligneous acids (PAs) as alternative antiseptics in dairy goats. Methods and Results Cytotoxicity was evaluated in vitro using bacteria, as well as in vivo using goats, and the influence of PAs on the physicochemical parameters of fresh milk were examined. The cytotoxicity of PAs was evaluated in terms of morphology, cell viability and metabolic activity of goat tegumentary cells. The PA of M. tenuiflora had results similar to those of 2% iodine. For the in vitro tests, strains of Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa were used with the well technique, demonstrating inhibition halos greater than 9 mm. In the in vivo test, 15 animals were used per phase of the experiment, and the plate counting technique showed that there was antiseptic action of both extracts, with emphasis on the M. tenuiflora PA. Physicochemical analysis of the milk showed that neither PAs interfered with its physical–chemical parameters. Conclusions The PA of M. tenuiflora presented potential as an alternative antiseptic in dairy goats. Significance and Impact of the Study This study demonstrates the use of PA as an antimicrobial agent in animals.

Eucalyptus wood vinegar (WV) is a versatile natural product employed in several areas such as for agriculture, zootechnics, and veterinary applications. However, the product may contain contaminants such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, methanol, metals, and so on in its raw form. Thus, refining is required to remove them. Only after reaching a high-purity grade can WV be applied as a basis for pharmaceuticals, antimicrobials, and additives for animal husbandry. This work aimed to assess the effect of refining on the contaminant content of a WV produced on an industrial scale and traded as agricultural input in the Brazilian market. WV was refined by sequential vacuum distillations and had its contaminant contents assessed before and after refining. The following chemical classes were investigated: metals and other elements, insecticides, fungicides, and herbicides (carbamates, organochlorines, organophosphates, pyrethroids, and others), mycotoxins, polychlorinated dioxins and furans, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and volatile organic compounds, encompassing more than 100 chemical species. Also, the WV physical–chemical properties before and after refining were determined. Gas chromatography and mass spectrometry (GC/MS) were employed to attain the WV’s chemical profile. The main chemical components, such as phenolic compounds, furans, ketones, pyrans, etc., were annotated in the WV chemical profile. No traces of insecticides, fungicides, herbicides, heavy metals, mycotoxins, polychlorinated dioxins, or polychlorinated furans were found in raw WV or refined versions. However, several other undes/irable chemicals were determined in the raw product, such as PAHs and volatile organic compounds (acetaldehyde, acetone, ethylene glycol, and methanol). Nevertheless, all of them were effectively removed from the raw WV after the first or second sequential refining steps, resulting in a pure product. Therefore, only one refining step can be applied to raw WV to yield a high-quality product for pharmaceutical and animal husbandry applications.

The indiscriminate use of antimicrobials in animal husbandry can result in various types of environmental contamination. Part of the dose of these products is excreted, still active, in the animals’ feces and urine. These excreta are widely used as organic fertilizers, which results in contamination with antimicrobial molecules. The impacts can occur in several compartments, such as soil, groundwater, and surface watercourses. Also, contamination by antimicrobials fed or administrated to pigs, chickens, and cattle can reach the meat, milk, and other animal products, which calls into question the sustainability of using these products as part of eco-friendly practices. Therefore, a search for alternative natural products is required to replace the conventional antimicrobials currently used in animal husbandry, aiming to mitigate environmental contamination. We thus carried out a review addressing this issue, highlighting wood vinegar (WV), also known as pyroligneous acid, as an alternative antimicrobial with good potential to replace conventional products. In this regard, many studies have demonstrated that WV is a promising product. WV is a nontoxic additive widely employed in the food industry to impart a smoked flavor to foods. Studies have shown that, depending on the WV concentration, good results can be achieved using it as an antimicrobial against pathogenic bacteria and fungi and a valuable growth promoter for poultry and pigs.

Studies on semen and sperm cells are critical to develop assisted reproductive technologies for the conservation of the collared peccary. The objective of the study was to compare the effect of different antibiotics on the bacterial load and sperm quality during short-term storage of peccary semen. Fresh semen samples from 10 males were extended in Tris-egg yolk or Tris-Aloe vera supplemented with streptomycin-penicillin (SP; 1 mg/mL - 1000 IU/mL or 2 mg/mL - 2000 IU/mL) or gentamicin (30 µg/mL or 70 µg/mL) before storage at 5°C. Bacterial load and sperm motility, membrane integrity and function, mitochondrial activity, and morphology, were evaluated at different time points for 36 h. The SP and gentamicin treatments concentration inhibited (p < 0.05) bacterial growth for 36 h regardless of the extender. Compared to the other treatments, Tris-egg yolk plus 70 µg/mL gentamicin maintained the sperm parameters for longer, including total motility (41.9 ± 6.1%) at 24 h, and membrane integrity (58.3 ± 2.1%) at 36 h. In contrast, the highest SP concentration in both extenders impaired sperm membrane integrity at 36 h (p < 0.05). For the liquid storage of collared peccary semen, it therefore is recommended to use Tris extender supplemented with egg yolk and gentamicin (70 µg/mL).