Blend of natural and natural identical essential oil compounds as a strategy to improve the gut health of weaning pigs.

Weaning is one of the most critical phases in pig's life, often leading to postweaning diarrhoea (PWD). Zinc oxide (ZnO), at pharmacological doses, has been largely used to prevent PWD; however, due to antimicrobial co-resistant and environmental pollution issues, the EU banned its use in June 2022. Natural or natural identical components of essential oils and their mixture with organic acids are possible alternatives studied for their antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant abilities. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of two blends of natural or natural identical components of essential oils and organic acids compared to ZnO on health, performance, and gut health of weaned pigs. At weaning (d0), 96 piglets (7 058 ± 895 g) were assigned to one of four treatments balanced for BW and litter: CO (control treatment), ZnO (2 400 mg/kg ZnO from d0 to d14); Blend1 (cinnamaldehyde, ajowan and clove essential oils, 1 500 mg/kg feed); Blend2 (cinnamaldehyde, eugenol and short- and medium-chain fatty acids, 2 000 mg/kg feed). Pigs were weighed weekly until d35. Faeces were collected at d13 and d35 for microbiota (v3-v4 regions of the 16 s rRNA gene) and Escherichia coli (E. coli) count analysis. At d14 and d35, eight pigs/treatment were slaughtered; pH was recorded on intestinal contents and jejunal samples were collected for morphological and gene expression analysis. From d7-d14, the Blend2 had a lower average daily gain (ADG) than CO and ZnO (P < 0.05). ZnO and Blend1 never differed in ADG and feed intake. At d14, ZnO had a lower caecum pH than all other treatments. The CO treatment had a higher abundance of haemolytic E. coli than Blend1 (P = 0.01). At d13, the ZnO treatment had a lower alpha diversity (P < 0.01) and a different microbial beta diversity (P < 0.001) compared to the other treatments. At d13, the ZnO treatment was characterised by a higher abundance of Prevotellaceae_NK3B31_group (Linear Discriminant Analysis (LDA) score = 4.5, P = 0.011), Parabacteroides (LDA score = 4.5, P adj. = 0.005), the CO was characterised by Oscillospiraceae UCG-005 (LDA score = 4.3, P adj. = 0.005), Oscillospiraceae NK4A214_group (LDA score = 4.2, P adj. = 0.02), the Blend2 was characterised by Megasphaera (LDA score = 4.1, P adj. = 0.045), and Ruminococcus (LDA score = 3.9, P adj. = 0.015) and the Blend1 was characterised by Christensenellaceae_R-7_group (LDA score = 4.6, P adj. < 0.001) and Treponema (LDA score = 4.5, P adj. < 0.001). In conclusion, Blend1 allowed to maintain the gut health of postweaning piglets through modulation of the gut microbiome, the reduction of haemolytic E. coli while Blend2 did not help piglets.

Effect of an Escherichia coli F4/F18 bivalent oral live vaccine on gut health and performance of healthy weaned pigs.

Oral live vaccines stimulate host immunity, but they could also affect intestinal mucosa development and gut microbiota of piglets during the postweaning. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of an oral vaccine against Escherichia coli F4 and F18 (Coliprotec F4/F18®), on gut functionality and integrity, growth performance and health status of postweaning piglets. A total of 96 weaned piglets (23.30 ±â€¯1.85 days of age; 7334 ±â€¯1039 g BW) were divided into two groups (16 replicates/group; three piglets/replicate) as follows: (1) Control (CO), fed a standard diet (prestarter up to 14 days, then starter feed); (2) Treated (TRT): as CO but vaccinated with Coliprotec F4/F18® at weaning (day 0). Piglets were weighed at day 0 and weekly until day 35. Individual faecal score was recorded daily. Piglets were sacrificed at days 10 (1/3 of total) and 35 (2/3). Samples of jejunum mucosa and of cecum content were collected for morphometric, immunohistochemistry analysis and for microbiota profile analysis, respectively. Data were fitted using a linear model including treatment, class of starting BW as fixed factors and litter as random factor. From days 0 to 7, piglets from the TRT group tended to have a higher average daily gain (+22.6%, P = 0.08) and average daily feed intake compared to the CO group (+13.2%, P = 0.022). Gain to feed ratio was lower in the TRT group from days 14 to 35 (-6.6%, P = 0.011). From days 7 to 14, the TRT group had a higher diarrhoea index (-199%, P < 0.001). Crypt depth was higher in the CO group (+10.9%, P = 0.04) at day 10, but not at day 35. Jejunal expression of Claudin-4 (probability of having a score = 3) was higher in the TRT group at day 10 (CO = 1.50% vs TRT = 2.69%, P < 0.0001) and day 35 (CO = 1.29% vs TRT = 1.92%, P = 0.012). Oral vaccine affected beta diversity at day 10 (P = 0.040; R2 = 0.05) and increased the abundance of specific taxa and genera in the cecum at day 10, including Prevotella (lg2FC = 23.2, FDR < 0.001). The results showed how an Escherichia coli-based vaccine supplied to weaned pigs can promote gut health by controlling symptoms of the postweaning perturbation in the first 2 weeks postweaning. In addition, the vaccine strains showed a probiotic-like effect by modulating gut microbiota favouring the establishment of beneficial bacteria, and by promoting gut barrier integrity.

An epidemiological survey on the allergological importance of some emerging pollens in Italy.

Epidemiological studies on the pollens responsible for allergic diseases throughout Italy are lacking. Routine diagnostic panels consist prevalently of grass, Parietaria, weeds, birch, olive and mugwort. Considering the great variety of Italian geographical areas and the observation of the growing allergological importance of new botanical species (e.g., ambrosia), a survey on pollen species considered "minor" was necessary. A panel of "emerging" pollens (birch, hazelnut, alder, hornbeam, cypress, ragweed) and a routine panel were used to skin prick test 2,934 consecutive outpatients with respiratory pathology of suspected allergic origin, in 21 centers across Italy. A specific questionnaire was compiled. It was found that 20.1% of patients did not react to allergens tested, 28.2% were positive for at least one emerging pollen and 51.7% did not react to emerging pollens but tested positive for at least one allergen from the routine panel. The prevalence of single pollen species was related to geographical areas. Ragweed pollen was shown to provoke asthma much more frequently than other pollens. Hitherto scarcely considered pollens play a considerable role in causing allergic diseases in Italy. In the great majority of patients, positivity for these pollens was associated with positivity to the better recognized group of pollen allergens, although in some cases they were the primary pathogenic agent. We suggest that these more recently considered allergens be included in routine diagnostic panels.

A novel zinc finger gene preferentially expressed in the retina and the organ of Corti localizes to human chromosome 12q24.3.

A cDNA encoding a novel member of the zinc finger gene family, designated zfOC1, has been cloned from the organ of Corti. This is the first transcriptional regulator cloned from this sensory epithelium. This transcript encodes a peculiar protein composed of 9 zinc finger domains and a few additional amino acids. The deduced polypeptide shares 66% amino acid similarity with MOK-2, another protein of only zinc finger motifs and preferentially expressed in transformed cell lines. Northern blot hybridization analysis reveals that zfOC1 transcripts are predominantly expressed in the retina and the organ of Corti and at lower levels in the stria vascularis, auditory nerve, tongue, cerebellum, small intestine and kidney. The human gene was mapped, using a human x hamster somatic cell hybrid panel and fluorescent in situ hybridization, to chromosome 12q24.3. Because of its relative abundance in sensorineural structures (retina and organ of Corti), this regulatory gene should be considered a candidate for hereditary disorders involving hearing and visual impairments that link to 12q24.3.