Tasty straw pellets – Exploration of flavoured rooting material by pigs

Tail biting is a common problem in pigs kept in conventional fully slatted pens. Suitable enrichment materials can help to prevent the occurrence of this behavioural disorder by encouraging pigs to increase exploration behaviour. We investigated whether additional flavours can increase exploration behaviour in undocked pigs. Therefore, we offered straw pellets flavoured with either fried onion (FO), strawberry (SB), ginger, almond (AL), vanilla or without flavour (control) during rearing (eight groups in total) and fattening (16 groups in total). Flavoured pellets were offered in an altering order during intervals of 1 week in material dispensers. Exploration duration at the material dispensers was continuously recorded via an ultra-high-frequency radio-frequency identification system. Pigs were weighed weekly and their tail lengths and tail injuries were scored in four categories. For analysis, changes in tail length scores compared to the previous week were calculated as Δ-tail length. The different flavours affected pigs’ exploration durations in both rearing (factor flavour, P < 0.0001) and fattening (factor flavour, P < 0.0001). Highest exploration durations during rearing were recorded when straw pellets were flavoured with FO and AL compared to all others. During fattening, exploration duration was highest towards controls without significant difference to SB. Exploration durations additionally were affected by temporal effects, i.e. week and day during rearing (both factors: P < 0.0001) and fattening (both factors: P < 0.0001). During rearing, highest exploration durations were recorded in the first week and on the first day within week after changing the flavour of the straw pellets. During fattening, exploration durations varied between weeks and within weeks. The highest durations were recorded at the end of weeks, i.e. on the fifth and seventh days after material change. During rearing, tail injuries were affected by week (P < 0.0001). From the fourth week of rearing, the prevalence of tail injuries significantly increased. During the fattening period, tail injuries were affected by flavour (P < 0.05). Fattening pigs had fewest tail injuries after straw pellets flavoured with AL were offered. Altogether, based on the exploration durations, rearing pigs showed different preferences for the flavoured straw pellets but highly explored flavours differed between rearing and fattening pigs. Despite a weekly change of the flavour of straw pellets, exploration durations decreased during rearing but increased again in the transition between rearing and fattening. Thus, straw pellets with alternating flavours are a suitable possibility to provide environmental enrichment to pigs but will not prevent tail biting.     

Pigs’ preferences for rooting materials measured in a three-choice maze-test

The aim of this experiment was to investigate pigs’ preferences for rooting materials. Eighteen materials were allocated to six categories each of which consisted of three similar materials based on characteristics such as structure, size of particles, complexity, destructibility and digestibility. Twelve pairs of pigs chose among the three materials of each of the six categories in a balanced design. Within each category each pair was given four instantaneous choices among the three materials in a three-armed maze. ‘No choice’ was scored if the pigs did not enter one of the maze-arms within 90 s. Thus there were four options in each choice situation. The results were analysed using a random utility model incorporating random intercepts to account for the repeated testing of the same animals. The pigs expressed clear preferences within the category EARTH, where compost and peat were preferred to wood-shavings and no choice. In the category CHIP the most probable rank-order was spruce chip, willow chip, fir chip and no choice, while in the category ROUGH the most probable rank-order was maize-silage, grass silage, sugar beets and no choice. However, in these two categories none of the probabilities were sufficiently large to signify a preference for any of the three materials although the probabilities of the ‘no choice’ option were low. The pigs expressed no preferences among any of the four options including ‘no choice’ in the categories TOY (sisal robe, Bite-Rite, wooden beam), HAY (alfalfa hay mixed with straw, seed grass hay, barley straw with under-seed), and STRAW (long straw, chopped straw and straw pellets).     

Equine Culicoides hypersensitivity in Florida: biting midges aspirated from horses

Nine species of Culicoides were aspirated from horses in Florida during the second phase of a study of equine Culicoides hypersensitivity (CHS). Approximately 90% of the 2933 midges were Culicoides insignis Lutz, 4% were C.stellifer (Coquillett), 3% were C.niger Root and Hoffman, 2% were C.alachua Jamnback and Wirth and the remaining 1% included C.venustus Hoffman, C.scanloni Wirth and Hubert, C.lahillei Iches (= C.debilipalpis Lutz), C.pusillus Lutz, and C.edeni Wirth and Blanton. Culicoides were sampled on seven farms located throughout Florida. The location and seasonality of lesion development on horses with CHS correlated with the Culicoides spp. collected directly from the horses as to their sites of attack, their seasonality and geographical distribution.     

Diel biting activity of Culex (Melanoconion) caudelli in Trinidad, West Indies

The diel biting periodicity of the arbovirus vector Culex (Melanoconion) caudelli Dyar and Knab (Diptera; Culicidae) in the Aripo-Wallerfield forest, Trinidad, was studied by collecting mosquitoes attracted to mouse-baited traps at 2-hourly intervals during eight 24 h periods. Biting females of Cx caudelli were collected during all night-time hours, 18.00-06.00 hours, with an overall unimodal pattern, i.e. one well-defined peak between 22.00 and 04.00 hours. This contrasts with previous reports that Cx caudelli is diurnally active. During the four moon phases, the period of peak biting activity varied from 22.00 to 24.00 hours at fullmoon, from 22.00 to 04.00 hours at first quarter, and from 24.00 to 02.00 hours at new moon and last quarter phases. The number of mosquitoes collected varied significantly with moon phases, the highest (152/24 h) being collected in the first lunar quarter and the lowest (71/24 h) in the last lunar quarter. Cloud cover and rainfall had no significant effect on the diel biting periodicity of Cx caudelli.     

Morphological correlates of tail length in the catarrhine sacrum

Taillessness is a distinctive synapomorphy of the Hominoidea that has implications for interpretation of the locomotor behaviors and phylogenetic affinities of the clade’s earliest members. However, difficulties persist in confidently identifying taillessness in the catarrhine fossil record, stemming largely from our limited knowledge of the anatomical features with which the tail is associated. Here, we compare the morphology of the sacrum, the sole bony link between the tail and the rest of the body, among extant tailless hominoids and a broad sample of extant cercopithecoids known to vary in tail length (i.e., ‘very short’, ‘short’, and ‘long’) in order to identify morphological correlates of tail length. We examine three features of the sacrum, including the shape of the sacrum’s caudal articular surface (CAS), the sacrocaudal articulation (SCA) angle, and the lateral expansion of the last sacral vertebra’s transverse processes. Compared with all other taxa, ‘long’-tailed cercopithecoids have significantly more circularly-shaped CASs, more acute SCA angles, and more laterally expanded transverse processes of the last sacral vertebra. Tailless hominoids have significantly more elliptically-shaped CASs and less laterally expanded transverse processes than all tailed cercopithecoids, but in the latter parameter, they only differ significantly from ‘long’-tailed cercopithecoids. Cercopithecoids with ‘short’ and ‘very short’ tails are intermediate between tailless hominoids and ‘long’-tailed cercopithecoids with respect to CAS shape and lateral expansion of the transverse processes. SCA angle distinguishes clearly among all three cercopithecoid tail length groups. The results of this study provide evidence for significant differences in sacral morphology among extant catarrhines known to differ in tail length, and have implications for making inferences about tail length and function in extinct catarrhines.     

The effects of tail autotomy on survivorship and body growth of Uta stansburiana under conditions of high mortality

We examined the effects of tail autotomy on survivorship and body growth of both adult and juvenile Uta stansburiana by directly manipulating tail condition. Tail loss decreased neither survivorship nor rate of body growth for individuals in two natural populations. Lack of an influence of tail loss on survivorship in these two populations may be the result of high mortality. Under high mortality any differential effects of tail loss will be lower than in populations facing lower mortality. Growth experiments in the laboratory demonstrated that, under conditions of minimal environmental variation and social interactions, there is no tradeoff between body growth and tail regeneration as has been suggested for other species of lizards. One possible reason for this difference is that U. stansburiana does not use the tail as a storage organ for lipids. The original and regenerated tails are composed mainly of protein. In general, any differential body growth between tailed and tailless individuals may be due to social interactions and not a diversion of limited energy into tail regeneration.     

Effects of season on the behaviour of early-weaned piglets during and immediately following transport

In North America commercial transport of piglets occurs without supplemental heat, over long durations (24 h) and without feed and water. Scan sampling was used to compare behaviour across seasons (summer, fall, winter) and over representative durations (Control, 6, 12 or 24 h) to help assess welfare. Six groups of 48 Cotswold piglets (17 ± 1 d) were weaned and transported along highways in a van equipped for video and temperature recording. Following transport, piglets were studied in groups of four, in weanling pens with free choice feed and water. Resting during transport increased in frequency from 59.8% (1–12 h) to 91.5% (13–24 h). This pattern was more defined in winter and fall implicating cold as a causal factor. Fatigue, as observed in slaughter hogs, may also be a factor. Higher levels of post-transport resting in transported (81.4%) compared to control piglets (77.5%) supported this interpretation. Habituation to transport conditions may also have affected behaviour as piglet interactions commonly associated with dominance hierarchy establishment, were more frequent, and sitting, a behaviour associated with stress post-weaning decreased in the last 12 h of transport. As the duration of transport increased, post-transport drinking frequency increased, although significance was reached between control (2.4%) and 24 h of transport (3.7%) only. Long transport durations may thus delay hierarchy development, require additional coping strategies with respect to cold and increase the risk for dehydration. However, indications for habituation to some aspects of transport after 12 h are also apparent. During winter transport the frequency of piglet interactions (three piglets) was much lower than in summer (39 piglets) and fall (18 piglets) indicating that the cold temperatures may have affected establishment of a dominance hierarchy. Summer and winter transport differed from fall transport, with less resting (5.5% versus 9.2%) and standing (5.5% versus 9.25%), and more sitting (0.52% versus 0.28%) during the fall, a pattern consistent with increased stress during fall transport. Higher levels of resting for 3 days in winter and 2 days in summer could indicate more post-transport fatigue in these seasons. Transport, irrespective of season, resulted in behaviour indicative of coping strategies. It is important to determine which stressors have the greatest impact in each season and develop strategies to reduce the effects of transport on welfare.     

Female tail wagging enhances sexual performance in male goats

Preference testing has shown that sexually experienced male goats choose females that are tail wagging, a behavior that may function as both attractivity and proceptivity, over those that are not. We hypothesized that exposure to females expressing high rates of tail wagging would arouse males, increasing sexual performance. Tail wagging rate could be manipulated because we have shown previously that flutamide treatment increases the frequency of tail wagging in estrous goats. Sexually experienced males observed different stimuli for 10 min before a 20 min sexual performance test (SPT). The stimuli were an empty pen (MT), or groups of three females that were all estrous (E), non-estrous (NE), estrous + flutamide (E_F) or non-estrous + flutamide (NE_F). During the stimulus observation period, tail wagging was recorded. During SPT, frequencies and latencies of sexual behaviors were recorded. E_F females displayed the most tail wagging. Viewing E_F females before SPT increased the number of ejaculations attained by males and decreased the latencies to first and second ejaculation, as well as the inter-ejaculatory interval. Viewing estrous females (E and E_F) before SPT decreased the latency to first mount, as compared to non-estrous females (NE and NE_F). We conclude that male goats are sexually aroused by tail wagging. This study and previous work demonstrate that tail wagging functions as both attractivity and proceptivity in goats.     

Effect of fermented soya beans on diarrhoea and feed efficiency in weaned piglets

AIMS: To evaluate anti-diarrhoeal and growth enhancing properties of fermented soya beans in weaned piglets. METHODS AND RESULTS: In a first phase piglet diet, toasted full-fat soya beans (20%) were replaced with either cooked soya beans or Rhizopus microsporus or Bacillus subtilis fermented soya beans. The effect on the incidence, severity and duration of diarrhoea in enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC)-challenged weaned piglets was determined (pen trial, 24 piglets per treatment). Severity of diarrhoea was significantly less on the diet with Rhizopus-fermented soya beans compared with the control diet containing toasted soya beans. Piglets fed fermented soya beans showed increased feed intake (13 and 12%), average daily weight gain (18 and 21%) and feed efficiency (3 and 8%) (for Rhizopus and Bacillus-fermented soya beans, respectively). However, in the treatment groups an unequal mortality and a potential unequal distribution of receptor-positive piglets were observed. CONCLUSIONS: Cooked and fermented soya beans could be beneficial in the control of diarrhoea in ETEC-challenged weaned piglets (particularly Rhizopus fermented) and significantly improved weight gain and feed intake (particularly Bacillus fermented). SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: Fermented soya beans could offer benefits with respect to the control of diarrhoea and feed efficiency in piglets.     

Arrangement of microfibrils in collagen fibrils of tendons in the rat tail

Summary The microfibrillar arrangement in collagen fibrils of tendons in the tail of the rat was examined by electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction. Fresh and air-dried collagen fibers were examined in unstretched and stretched conditions. The results demonstrate that the microfibrils have a course parallel to the longitudinal axis of the collagen fibrils. The influence of stretching and hydration of the samples on the orientation of fibrils and microfibrils is also assessed.     

Reduction of chlortetracycline-resistant Escherichia coli in weaned piglets fed fermented liquid feed

We investigated the change in chlortetracycline resistance in 360 Escherichia coli strains separated from the feces of piglets fed fermented liquid feed (FLF) in comparison with those fed dry feed (control). The total amount of lactic acid bacteria in feces was 8.77x10(8)CFU/g DM at weaning, which increased to 1.23x10(12)CFU/g DM (FLF) at 28 days after weaning (P<0.001). As a result of the antibiotic susceptibility test, almost all isolates were chlortetracycline-resistant (CTC(R)) until 14 days after weaning both in the FLF and control groups. At 28 days, the CTC(R)E. coli decreased to 22.2% in the FLF group, while the proportion of resistant bacteria was 88.9% in the control group. In addition, as a result of the gene analysis, it was clarified that there is a relation between the decrease in the minimum inhibitory concentration values and the possession rate of the tetracycline-resistance gene tet(A), tet(B) and tet(D). These results show that FLF caused an increase in the number of lactic acid bacteria in the intestines, and suggested that the feeding of FLF can possibly reduce antibiotic-resistance bacteria.     

Mesoderm induction in the future tail region of Xenopus

Summary We have used interspecific grafts between Xenopus borealis and Xenopus laevis to study the signalling system that produces tail mesoderm. Early gastrula ectoderm grafted into the posterior neural plate region of neurulae responds to a mesodermal inducing signal in this region and forms mainly tail somites; this signal persists until at least the early tail bud stage. Ventral ectoderm grafted into the posterior neural plate loses its competence to respond to this signal after stage 10 1/2. We have established the specification of anterior and posterior neural plate ectoderm. In ectodermal sandwiches or when grafted into unusual positions, anterior regions gave rise to mainly nervous system and posterior regions to large amounts of muscle, together with some nervous system. Thus it was impossible to assess the competence of posterior neural plate ectoderm to form further mesoderm and hence to establish if mesodermal induction continues during neurulation in unmanipulated embryos.     

Ecology of the biting midge Leptoconops albiventris in French Polynesia. I. Biting cycle and influence of climatic factors

Abstract. The diurnal biting cycle of Leptoconops albiventris de Meijere (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) is described from beaches of Nuku-Hiva, French Polynesia. Biting activity increased during the morning, diminished during the afternoon and was sufficiently intense to constitute a nuisance throughout the whole day. Correspondence Analysis indicated that climatic factors influenced biting activity. Activity was initiated by and positively associated with sunshine, whereas high temperatures, increased wind speed and rainfall were factors limiting activity. Decreased density of females during the dry season and their low capacity for dispersal were considered potentially advantageous with respect to control.     

Seasonal and diel patterns of biting midges (Ceratopogonidae) and mosquitoes (Culicidae) on the Parris Island Marine Corps Recruit Depot

The Marine Corps Recruit Depot on Parris Island, SC, is surrounded by tidal salt marshes, which are breeding habitats for many pestiferous biting flies. Knowledge of biting fly behavior patterns is needed to develop effective pest management strategies in urban areas adjacent to salt marshes. We measured biting midge (Ceratopogonidae) and mosquito (Culicidae) seasonal abundance and diel activity patterns on Parris Island using CO₂‐baited suction traps from November 2001 – November 2004. Of the three biting midge species collected, Culicoides furens was most abundant (86.2% of total) and was present in high numbers from late March to November. Culicoides hollensis (12.0% of total) was present during spring and fall but absent in summer and winter; and Culicoides melleus (1.7% of total) was present in spring through fall but absent in winter. Abundance of C. furens had a positive linear correlation with air temperature and rainfall. There were nonlinear correlations between air temperature and C. hollensis and C. melleus numbers, which were most abundant at moderate temperatures. Of 18 mosquito species collected, the most abundant were Aedes taeniorhynchus (42.7% of total), Aedes sollicitans (26.3% of total), Culex salinarius (15.6% of total), Culex quinquefasciatus (7.3% of total), and Aedes vexans (5.7% of total); other species comprised <5% of collections. Aedes taeniorhynchus numbers were positively correlated with temperature and rainfall, and Cx. salinarius was correlated with soil moisture. Activity of most biting midges and mosquitoes were highest the first two hours following sunset. Species of biting flies were present in all months, suggesting that year‐round control measures are necessary to reduce exposure to potential disease vectors and nuisance biting.     

Effects of a bovine colostrum-supplemented diet on some gut parameters in weaned piglets

The present study investigated the effects of a bovine colostrum-supplemented diet on gut post-weaning adaptation and health in piglets. Thirty-six 21-d-old piglets were allocated to one of the three following dietary treatments: sow-reared (SR), weaned on a control starter diet (WCtrl) or on a starter diet supplemented with bovine colostrum (WCol) until slaughter at 28 d or 35 d of age. Gastric pH and intestinal bacteriological, structural and functional parameters were determined. Compared to WCtrl, the gastric pH was lower (P < 0.05) and the duodenal lactobacilli:coliform ratio was higher (P = 0.05) in WCol piglets. The relative small intestine weight was 18% (P < 0.05) higher in WCol piglets than in SR piglets. Duodenal villous height was lower (P < 0.01) in WCtrl than in SR piglets, whereas the value for WCol piglets was intermediate. The weaning-increased crypt cell proliferation was not affected by bovine colostrum supplementation. The mucosal ribosomal capacity was higher (P < 0.05) in W than in SR piglets. In conclusion, a diet supplemented with colostrum induced, although not always significantly, variations of gut parameters, suggesting that globally, colostrum may limit weaning-induced gut structural and microbial alterations. The observed effects occurred early and were maintained throughout the post-weaning adaptive phase.     

Evaluation of non-conventional treatments for control of the biting louse (Bovicola ovis) on sheep

variety of non-conventional treatments was applied to biting louse ( Bovicola ovis ) infested sheep in order to evaluate ways in which farmers could control the louse infestations and still maintain Organic Production Standards.
In one trial, louse scores of sheep shorn but kept dry or wetted by water alone or with water plus detergent were compared with unshorn sheep treated similarly. Shearing alone accounted for a 35.7–66.3% reduction in mean louse scores. Wetting alone either with water or with water and added detergent accounted for a 26.9–35.3% reduction in mean louse scores. The combined effects on mean louse scores of shearing and wetting, as opposed to shearing alone, were statistically significant on two of the three farms at 32–35 days post-treatment. The effects persisted for the duration of the trial (between 48 and 52 days), at which point shearing and wetting with detergent provided 95.3–99.6% control of lice. In a second trial, a range of insecticidal substances considered acceptable by Organic Production Standards, azadirachtin (neem), pyrethrum, soap, was applied to louse-infested sheep and their efficacy compared with that of a commercial formulation of cypermethrin. The sheep treated with azadirachtin and pyrethrum had significantly fewer lice than either the control or soap treated sheep over the 48 days of the trial. Neither azadirachtin nor pyrethrum were significantly less effective than cypermethrin. Control (reduction in louse score) of 85.0–100% was achieved over the period of the trial.
It is concluded that most of the non-conventional treatments evaluated had a useful and cost-effective role to play in reducing louse numbers on sheep for at least 40–50 days. The lack of persistence compared with that obtained with conventional insecticides was the only apparent drawback.     

Temporal and spatial action of tolloid (mini fin) and chordin to pattern tail tissues

In vertebrates, a bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) signaling pathway patterns all ventral cell fates along the embryonic axis. BMP activity is positively regulated by Tolloid, a metalloprotease, that can eliminate the activity of the BMP antagonist Chordin. A tolloid mutant in zebrafish, mini fin (mfn), exhibits a specific loss of ventral tail tissues. Here, we investigate the spatial and temporal requirements for Tolloid (Mfn) in dorsoventral patterning of the tail. Through chimeric analyses, we found that Tolloid (Mfn) functions cell non-autonomously in the ventral-most vegetal cells of the gastrula or their derivatives. We generated a tolloid transgene under the control of the inducible hsp70 promoter and demonstrate that tolloid (mfn) is first required at the completion of gastrulation. Although tolloid is expressed during gastrulation and dorsally and ventrally within the tail bud, our results indicate that Tolloid (Mfn) acts specifically in the ventral tail bud during a approximately 4 h period extending from the completion of gastrulation to early somitogenesis stages to regulate BMP signaling. Examination of the temporal requirements of Chordin activity by overexpression of the hsp70-tolloid transgene indicates that Chordin is required both during and after gastrulation for proper patterning of the tail, contrasting Tld's requirement only during post-gastrula stages. We hypothesize that the gastrula role of Chordin in tail patterning is to generate the proper size domains of cells to enter the ventral and dorsal tail bud, whereas post-gastrula Chordin activity patterns the derivatives of the tail bud. Thus, fine modulation of BMP signaling levels through the negative and positive actions of Chordin and Tolloid, respectively, patterns tail tissues.     

Estimation of ileal output of gastro-intestinal glycoprotein in weaned piglets using three different methods

Mucin is the main constituent of gastrointestinal mucus and is responsible for its physicochemical and physiological properties. Previous studies have suggested that this glycoprotein represents a major component of undigested endogenous protein at the ileum. The aim of the study was to estimate the ileal output of this glycoprotein using three methods: direct ELISA, hexosamine-based method and ethanol precipitation. For setting up the ELISA assay, the glycoprotein was isolated from intestinal mucus scraping by cesium chloride density gradient ultracentrifugation and a rabbit hyperimmune plasma was raised against the purified glycoprotein. Ileal outputs of hexosamine and glycoprotein were measured in weaned piglets fed a control diet (C) based on casein or diets which contained 50% crude protein supplied by white (WCP) or black (BCP) chickpea. The hexosamine output was higher (P < 0.05) with the WCP diet (2.3 and 1.5 g x kg(-1) of dry matter intake for glucosamine and galactosamine, respectively) than with diet C (1.1 and 0.7 g x kg(-1) of DMI). The hexosamine-based and ethanol precipitation methods, but not the ELISA, showed significant differences between the diet treatments (P < 0.05). Although hexosamine-based and ethanol precipitation methods for the estimation of ileal glycoprotein appeared to be more satisfactory than the developed ELISA to display diet effects in this study, it remains to be determined whether the higher glycoprotein data variability observed with ELISA reflects the actual biological variability of the phenomenon or not.     

Effects of beta-glucan extracted from Saccharomyces cerevisiae on humoral and cellular immunity in weaned piglets

Twenty-four barrows were used to investigate the effects of beta-glucan on immune function in weaned piglets. Pigs (8.09 +/- 0.20 kg, 28 d of age) were fed a diet without or with supplemented beta-glucan (50 mg/kg feed). All pigs were injected with ovalbumin (OVA) on day 14 to investigate their humoral immune response. On day 28, lymphocytes were isolated from all pigs to determine the effects of beta-glucan on cellular immunity of pigs in vitro. Lymphocytes from six pigs of each group were incubated with 16 microg lipopolysaccharide (LPS) per ml culture medium, the remainder with an equivalent volume of culture medium alone. Samples were collected at 0, 3, 6, 12, 18, 24, and 48 h after LPS addition for determination of interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), and interleukin-10 (IL-10). On day 31, six pigs of each group were injected with either LPS (25 microg/kg BW) or an equivalent amount of sterile saline. Blood samples were collected at 3 h after LPS injection for analysis of IL-6, TNF-alpha, and IL-10 in plasma. The results indicated that dietary beta-glucan enhanced pig antibody response to OVA only in the first week after injection. In vitro, the increases of IL-6 and TNF-alpha in culture medium were partially dampened in pigs supplemented with beta-glucan when their lymphocytes were incubated with LPS, whereas the increase of IL-10 was potentiated. In vivo, dietary beta-glucan attenuated the increase of plasma IL-6 and TNF-alpha, and enhanced the increase of plasma IL-10 when pigs were challenged with LPS. These results demonstrate that beta-glucan can improve the humoral immunity of pigs and modulate cellular immunity of pigs by mitigating the elevation of pro-inflammatory cytokines and enhancing the increase of anti-inflammatory cytokines after an immunological challenge.