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Welfare Assessment in Pigs Using the Salivary Proteome
Sara Prims1, Chris Van Ginneken1, Xaveer Van Ostade2
1Comparative Perinatal Development, Department of Veterinary Sciences, Faculty of Pharmaceutical, Biomedical and Veterinary Sciences, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium.
Animals : an Open Access Journal From MDPI
|June 19, 2024
Summary
Stress in pigs impacts welfare. This review proposes six salivary proteins as potential biomarkers for non-invasively monitoring pig stress and welfare status on farms.
Area of Science:
- Animal Science
- Veterinary Medicine
- Biochemistry
Background:
- Stress significantly impacts pig welfare and productivity.
- Current methods for assessing pig welfare lack a universally accepted gold standard.
- Non-invasive methods for stress detection are crucial for animal well-being.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the relationship between stress and pig welfare.
- To characterize the gland-specific salivary proteome in pigs.
- To identify potential salivary biomarkers for detecting chronic stress in pigs.
Main Methods:
- Literature review on stress, welfare, and porcine salivary proteome.
- Analysis of existing research on salivary protein changes in response to stress.
- Identification and proposal of candidate salivary stress biomarkers.
Main Results:
- Stress negatively affects pig welfare, necessitating reliable monitoring tools.
- Porcine saliva contains a complex proteome that varies with physiological state.
- Six proteins (odorant-binding protein, vomeromodulin-like protein, chitinase, lipocalin-1, long palate lung and nasal epithelium protein, alpha-2-HS-glycoprotein) are proposed as potential salivary stress biomarkers.
Conclusions:
- Saliva offers a promising non-invasive matrix for stress assessment in pigs.
- The identified salivary proteins could form the basis of a novel tool for monitoring pig welfare.
- Further validation of these biomarkers is essential for practical application in pig farming.
