Addition of chromic oxide to creep feed as a fecal marker for selection of creep feed-eating suckling pigs.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether the addition of chromic oxide (Cr(2)O(3)) to creep feed could be used as a visual marker in feces for selection of creep feed-eating suckling pigs. ANIMALS: 20 suckling pigs. PROCEDURES: Via syringe, 5 pigs (2 to 3 days old on day 0; 1 pig/treatment) from each of 4 litters received oral administrations of 10, 20, 30, or 40 g of creep feed containing 10 g of Cr(2)O(3)*kg(1) on each of 2 consecutive days (days 20 and 21) or 30 g of creep feed containing 10 g of Cr(2)O(3)*kg(1) on day 20 and 30 g of Cr(2)O(3)-free creep feed on day 21. On days 21 through 24, 6 fecal samples were collected from each pig at regular intervals between 8:00 AM and 6:00 PM. Green-colored feces were considered indicative of creep feed consumption (eaters). Data analyses were based on single and multiple fecal samples. RESULTS: On day 22, evaluation of 1 fecal sample/pig and multiple fecal samples per pig resulted in identification of as many as 40% and only 15% of the feed-treated pigs wrongly as noneaters, respectively. Repeated sampling over multiple days would identify 99% of eaters accurately. Pigs erroneously identified as noneaters were those administered either low amounts of Cr(2)O(3)-supplemented creep feed for 2 days or Cr(2)O(3)-supplemented creep feed on only 1 day. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Data suggest that addition of Cr(2)O(3) to creep feed enables selection of individual creep feed-eating suckling pigs via examination of feces, provided that repeated fecal samples are evaluated.

Detection of extracellular factor-positive Streptococcus suis serotype 2 strains in tonsillar swabs of live sows by PCR.

In this study, the sensitivity (Se) and specificity (Sp) of a PCR for the detection of EF-positive Streptococcus suis serotype 2 strains in tonsillar swabs of live sows were assessed. We sampled 471 sows originating from four farrow-to-finish farms by tonsillar swabbing and collected their tonsils after slaughter. On these specimens, a PCR, a bacterial examination (BE) or both were performed for the detection of EF-positive S. suis serotype 2 strains. Swab-PCR, Tonsil-PCR and Tonsil-BE were regarded as three integral tests. A Bayesian approach was used to calculate the Se and Sp of the tests. Se and Sp for Swab-PCR were 0.63 (95% credibility interval <0.52, 0.74>) and 0.96 (<0.92, 0.99>), respectively. Values for Se and Sp of Tonsil-PCR amounted to 0.88 (<0.75, 0.96>) and 0.94 (<0.87, 0.99>), respectively. For Tonsil-BE, Se was 0.65 (<0.51, 0.76>) and Sp was 0.97 (<0.91, 0.99>). Repetition of the swabbing procedure after 10 min resulted in a higher Se 0.85 (<0.67, 0.96>) than the Se of the first-Swab-PCR. Repetition of the PCR on the same sample did not result in any significant changes in the outcome of the analysis.

Peroral absorption of octreotide in pigs formulated in delivery systems on the basis of superporous hydrogel polymers.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to investigate the enhancement of peroral octreotide absorption using delivery systems based on superporous hydrogel (SPH) and SPH composite (SPHC) polymers. METHODS: Six female pigs (BW of 23.5 kg) were used in this study. SPH-based delivery systems were made of two components: 1) a conveyor system made of SPH and SPHC; 2) a core that contained octreotide. The core was inserted into the conveyor system (core inside, c.i.) or attached to the surface of the conveyor system (core outside, c.o.). Four different peroral formulations were investigated: c.i., c.o., core outside including trimethyl chitosan chloride (c.o.t.), and octreotide only in the absence of any polymer (o.o.). All formulations were placed in enteric-coated gelatin capsules (size 000) and administered perorally. Intravenous administration was used to determine bioavailability (F) values. Blood samples taken from the cannulated jugular vein were analyzed by radioimmunoassay. RESULTS: Peroral administration of 15 mg o.o. resulted in low F values of 1.0 +/- 0.6% (mean +/- SEM) whereas c.i. and c.o. administrations resulted in remarkably higher F values of 12.7 +/- 3.6% and 8.7 +/- 2.4%, respectively. By the addition of trimethyl chitosan chloride as an extra absorption enhancer to c.o.t., the highest bioavailability (16.1 +/- 3.3%) was achieved. CONCLUSIONS: These novel delivery systems based on SPH and SPHC polymers are able to increase the peroral bioavailability of octreotide by mechanical fixation and increasing the retention of the dosage form at the absorption site.

Effect of fermented feed on shedding of Enterobacteriaceae by fattening pigs.

Epidemiological studies showed that the use of fermented feed could significantly reduce Salmonella prevalence in pigs compared to the use of normal feed. Experimental challenge experiments with Salmonella have however never been conducted to reveal the efficacy of fermented feed in reducing Salmonella shedding and/or reducing the number of Salmonella-positive pigs. A longitudinal study was conducted to measure the effect of fermented feed, in particular of its components lactic acid and Lactobacillus plantarum, on gastrointestinal bacterial ecology (Salmonella, Enterobacteriaceae, lactobacilli, volatile fatty acids (VFAs), pH). Seeder pigs were used as a mode for Salmonella transmission within a pig herd. Bacteriological measurements were performed in faeces of the pigs. The results showed that fermented feed affected/reduced the Enterobacteriaceae population in faeces of the pigs. No differences were found in the number of positive pigs infected or in the number of shedding with Salmonella serovar Typhimurium fed fermented feed and between the normal feed group. S. serovar Goldcoast could not establish an infection in the seeder pigs in the fermented feed group as well as in the normal feed group. The pH of the faeces in the fermented feed groups was significantly higher than the pH of the faeces of the normal feed groups. The role of the undissociated form of the faecal VFAs on the significantly lower Enterobacteriaceae number in faeces of the pigs of the fermented feed groups could not be demonstrated because of the significant higher pH in the faeces of the pigs fed fermented feed.