Nutrient Utilisation and Intestinal Fermentation are Differentially Affected by the Consumption of Resistant Starch Varieties and Conventional Fibres in Pigs

Posted in: Ontario Pork, Pork Insight Articles by admin on August 19, 2008 | No Comments

This study examined the influence of different resistant starch (RS) varieties and conventional fibres on the efficiency of nutrient utilisation and intestinal fermentation in pigs. Thirty-six pigs (30 kg) were fed poultry meal-based diets supplemented with 10% granular resistant corn starch (GCS), granular resistant potato starch (GPS), retrograded resistant corn starch (RCS), guar gum (GG) or cellulose for 36 d according to a completely randomised block design. Distal ileal and total tract recoveries were similar (P.0·05) among the RS varieties. Distal ileal starch recovery was higher (P,0·05) in pigs consuming the RS diets (27–42%) as compared with the control group (0·64 %). Consumption of GCS reduced (P,0·05) apparent total tract digestibility and whole-body retention of crude protein in comparison with the control group. Consumption of GPS reduced (P,0·05) total tract Ca digestibility and whole-body retention of Ca and P compared with the control group. However, consumption of RCS increased (P,0·05) total tract Ca digestibility compared with the control group. Caecal butyrate concentration was increased (P,0·05) following consumption of RCS and GG in comparison with the control group. Consumption of all the RS varieties reduced (P,0·05) caecal indole concentrations compared with the control. Caecal butyrate concentrations were positively correlated (P,0·05; r 0·63–0·83) with thermal properties among the RS varieties. In conclusion, nutrient utilisation and intestinal fermentation are differentially affected by the consumption of different RS varieties and types of fibres. Thermal properties associated with different RS varieties may be useful markers for developing RS varieties with specific functionality.

Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Colonization in Pigs and Pig Farmers

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The objectives of this study were to evaluate the prevalence of MRSA colonization in pigs and pig farmers in Ontario, Canada and to characterize MRSA strains. Nasal and rectal swabs were collected from 285 pigs from three different age groups from 20 pig farms. The prevalence of MRSA colonization in farms was 45% (9/20) whereas the prevalence in pigs was 24.9% (71/285). There was no difference in MRSA colonization between age groups. The prevalence of MRSA colonization in pig farmers was 20% (5/25). There was a correlation between the presence of MRSA in pigs and humans on farms (P value = 0.001). The results of spa typing revealed the predominant strain in pigs and humans was eGenomics spa type 539 (Ridom t034, clonal complex 398) which accounted for 59.2% of isolates and has been reported in pigs in Europe. A common human epidemic clone, CMRSA-2 (USA100, clonal complex 5) was also found in both pigs and pig personnel. Indistinguishable strains were found in pigs and pig personnel on all five farms with a colonized human. This study demonstrates that MRSA is common in pigs in Ontario, Canada, and provides further support to concerns about transmission of MRSA between pigs and humans. The reasons for the high prevalence of MRSA colonization in pigs both in Canada and in other countries remain uncertain. The presence of similar strains in pigs and their human contacts, the high prevalence of colonization of pig farmers and the possible emergence of ST398 strains as a cause of clinical infections in humans indicates that MRSA in pigs may pose a public health risk to human contacts.

Cellular and Molecular Evaluation of Mechanisms at the Maternal-Fetal Interface that Promote Porcine Fetal Survival.

Posted in: Ontario Pork, Pork Insight Articles by admin on August 15, 2008 | No Comments

In  commercial hog barns sows during early and mid gestation experience spontaneous fetal loss reaching 30-45%. It is not clear why these losses occur but poor blood supply to the developing conceptus is suspected to be the cause. This study documented that  type 1 cytokines dominate early pregnancy, while type 2 cytokines are more common after mid-gestation. Type 1 cytockines were more common at arresting conceptus attachment sites comapred to healthy ones. It was also noted that chemokines and their decoy receptor was significantly higher in arresting sites at mid-gesstation.  Using an intra-uterine infusion of MCC (Bioniche life sciences, Inc.), litter size was increased by 3 piglets in treated sows compared with control. Runts were very rare in treated compared with placebo animals. Other effects of MCC include stimulation of maternal fetal vasculature and numbers and size of corpora lutea. Overall this proposal made significant advances towards the understanding of embryo loss during porcine pregnancy and therapeutic promotion of litter size.

Association between in-transit loss, internal trailer temperature, and distance traveled by Ontario market hogs

Posted in: Ontario Pork, Pork Insight Articles by admin on August 13, 2008 | No Comments

This observational study investigated market pig deaths during transport from the farms to the abattoirs in Ontario. Three trucking companies were studied with respect to temperature, relative humidity, and global positioning data for 104 trips that delivered 21 834 pigs from 371 producers to Ontario abattoirs. 94% of producers investigated  in this study experienced no in-transit pig losses but the overall average in-transit loss was 0.12%. As trailer  temperature increased, pig losses increased. This study was conducted in the summer months of  July to October 2004 to gain valuable knowledge on the effect of transport temperatures on animal welfare and health. It was concluded that temperature and humidity monitors were less  expensive than pig losses during transport and that sprinklers or fans in transport trailers would be efficient at reducing in-transit market pig losses.

Molecular epidemiology and antimicrobial resistance of Salmonella Typhimurium DT104 on Ontario swine farms

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This study investigated antimicrobial resistance of 80 Salmonella Typhimurium DT104 strains on 17 commercial swine farms in Ontario. Of the 24 antimicrobials tested, the isolates showed resistance to 4 to 10 of them. Most frequently, the isolates showed resistance to  sulfonamides (Su), ampicillin (A), streptomycin (S), spectinomycin (Sp), chloramphenicol (C), tetracycline (T), and florfenicol (F). Thirteen resistance patterns were observed with 88% of  the isolates presenting with the resistance pattern “ACSpSSuT.” Plasmid profiles were investigated and the isolates were classified into 23 distinct genotypes by PFGE-SpeI 1 BlnI.  In total, 39 distinct “types” were observed when a “type” was based on antimicrobial resistance, plasmid pattern, and PFGE-SpeI 1 BlnI for each isolate. In conclusion, the diversity of isolates discovered suggessts the Salmonella Typhimurium DT104 strains come from multiple sites on the swine farms. These findings can be used to determined the exact source of contamination as well as to trace Salmonella Typhimurium DT104 infections in humans back to the source either swine-related or from other food-producing animals.

Further assessment of fomites and personnel as vehicles for the mechanical transport and transmission of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus

Posted in: Air Filtration, Pork Insight Articles by admin on July 30, 2008 | No Comments

The project set out to re-evaluated the role of fomites and personnel as mechanical transporters and transmitters of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSv) between pig populations. To test this swabs were collected from hands, boots, coveralls, cable snares, bleeding equipment and other fomites after they had come into contact with infected pigs. They were then compared to identical samples that were used on pigs  that were not PRRSv positive. Pigs who were PRRS negative were then exposed to the contaminated personnel and fomites and their blood was tested after they were exposed, they were then compared to pigs who were not exposed to fomites containing PRRSv. Results showed that pigs who were exposed to the PRRSv contaminated personnel and equipment became infected seven out of seven times while the non exposed group was not infected. It was proven that under the right conditions PRRS can spread between populations of pigs with fomites and personnel being the vehicle.

Fractional Protein Synthesis Rates Are Similar When Measured by Intraperitoneal or Intravenous Flooding Doses of L-[ring-2H5]Phenylalanine in Combination with a Rapid Regimen of Sampling in Piglets

Posted in: Nutrition, Ontario Pork, Pork Insight Articles by admin on July 24, 2008 | No Comments

Fractional protein synthesis rates (FSR) are widely measured by the flooding dose technique via either an i.g. or an i.v. route. This study was conducted to compare differences in tracer incorporation and FSR in organs and tissues of fed piglets. The piglets were surgically implanted with catheters and randomly assigned to receive a flooding dose of Phe (1.5 mmol/kg body weight, 40 percent molar enrichment with [2H5]Phe) in saline administered via an i.p. or an i.v. route. [2H5] Phe free-pool enrichment in plasma increased logarithmically (P , 0.05) from 0 to 25% in the i.p. group, whereas it
rose to a peak level within 3 min of the tracer injection and then decreased linearly (P , 0.05) in the i.v. group. Intracellular free-pool tracer enrichments in organs and tissues were within the range of the values measured for the plasma-free pool (25–27%), reaching the flooding status. Administration of the tracer via the i.p. and i.v. routes induced a logarithmical pattern (P , 0.05) of a surge in plasma cortisol concentrations within 30 min. Measurements of FSR in plasma, cardiac muscle, and skeletal muscles were lower (P , 0.05) in the i.p. than in the i.v. group due to the adverse effect of cortisol surge being more dramatic (P , 0.05) in the i.p. than in the i.v. group at 30 min of the post-tracer administration. We conclude that FSR may be measured by the flooding dose through an i.p. or an i.v. route and the i.p. route may underestimate FSR by the flooding dose for plasma, cardiac muscle, and skeletal muscles. This concern may be addressed by a fast regimen of sampling to be completed within 12–20 min after an i.p. route of tracer injection.

Effect of space allowance during rearing and selection criteria on performance of gilts over three parities in a commercial swine production system

Posted in: Air Filtration, Pork Insight Articles by admin on June 20, 2008 | No Comments

A large amount of gilts were used in this study to determine the effects of space allowance during rearing. The gilts were put into pens of equal size but with either 15 gilts or 22 gilts per pen. After this the pigs were evaluated on backfat thickness and loin depth, they also had their feet and legs scored. The age of puberty was recorded when it was detected, and reproductive statistics were taken. It was determined that space allowance had no effect on growth in rearing, backfat thickness or loin depth, total production or removal rate. Although pigs who were kept with more space achieved puberty at a younger age than pigs kept in a smaller space. Gilts that reached puberty at a younger age had better growth rates, greater backfat thickness and produced more pigs over parities 1 to 3 than pigs who reached puberty later in life. Despite what was expected, the faster growth in rearing did not effect removal rate. Also the faster growing gilts had more parities and weren’t removed as frequently after their third parity as slow growing gilts. Space allowance had no effects on total pigs produced or removal rate but gilts that had more space reached puberty sooner and produced more pigs over the first three parities.

To read this complete article please visit: http://jas.fass.org/

Porcine IgE in the context of experimental food allergy: Purification and isotype-specific antibodies

Posted in: Ontario Pork, Pork Insight Articles by admin on May 30, 2008 | No Comments

Measurement of allergen-specific immunoglobulin E (IgE) is a common practice in the investigation of allergy. It has not been possible to measure porcine IgE due to unavailability of anti-porcine IgE. This study was undertaken to purify and characterize porcine IgE from sera of allergic pigs, identify heterologous anti-IgE reactive with pig IgE and to use purified heavy (H) chain of porcine IgE to generate rabbit anti-IgE. A four-step process for the purification of porcine IgE is reported using ammonium sulphate precipitation, Protein G affinity chromatography, DEAE cellulose anion-exchange chromatography and sodium dodecyl sulphatepolyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) to obtain IgE H chain. The resultant IgE was evaluated for purity using SDSPAGE and immunoreactivity was detected by Prausnitz–Ku¨stner (PK) tests and passive cutaneous anaphylaxis with the allergen,crude peanut extract, used to induce experimental allergy. Cross-reactivity with anti-mouse and anti-human IgE antibodies were confirmed in western blot and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA). The H chain of IgE was excised from SDS-PAGE gels and used to develop rabbit anti-porcine IgE antisera. Antiserum obtained from rabbits immunized with porcine IgE, as well as heterologous murine and human-specific anti-IgE, induced reverse cutaneous anaphylaxis in pig skin and detected allergen-specific IgE in ELISA but did not react with IgG H chain in western blots. These results confirm allergy-associated bioactivity of porcine IgE and describe both homologous and heterologous anti-pig IgE suitable for use in allergen-specific and other assays. This will enhance utility of pig allergy models and provide an additional measure of type-2 immune response in pigs.

Possibilities for Anaerobic Digestion On Ontario Swine Farms

Posted in: Ontario Pork, Pork Insight Articles by admin on May 14, 2008 | No Comments

Liquid swine manure can have negative effects on the environment such as soil leaching with P and N, pathogens in digesters, and emissions of green house gases. Some of these effects can be alleviated with the manure being put into an anaerobic digesters which can also reduce the odor and create energy. To test the usefulness of anaerobic digesters researchers tested different combinations of manure and organic materials, the test treatments were liquid swine manure, liquid swine manure mixed with corn silage and liquid swine manure mixed with shredded sugar beets. The main objectives of this study were to test liquid swine manure by itself and with typical organic additives, and measure biogas production and digestate quality, to recorded logistical considerations for each manure additive, and to find gas yields from the manure combinations used and the costs of producing electrical power from each combination. When liquid swine manure was put by itself into the digester the total amount was 11 700L about 244L per day, this produced 264 m3 of boigas that was an average of 68% methane. For liquid swine manure mixed with corn silage the digester had some problems handling the solid material, as it designed for liquid only. A chopping pump was implemented to make the straw more liquid like. 227kg of corn silage was added to the digester along with 4681 L of swine manure. This was an average of 5.82 kg of corn silage per day and 120 L of liquid swine manure. This produced 214 m3 of biogas that averaged 55.8% methane – resulting in the production of 119 m3 of methane. The average biogas production was 5.5 m3 per day. The sugar beet additive was the last test recipe, it involved 99 kg of sugar beets, along with 560 liters of swine manure. This was an average of 5.5 kg of sugar beets per day and 31.1 L of liquid swine manure. This produced 13.6 m3 of biogas that averaged 54.7% methane, yielding 7.44 m3 of methane. The average daily biogas production was 0.756 m3 per day. After comparing the data recovered, some observations that were made include liquid swine manure produced the most methane per kg of additive. The sugar beat recipe was the last for methane produced per kg of organic matter but the researchers believe this is underestimated because of complications with the equipment.