Changes in salivary biomarkers before farrowing in sows

Abstract

In this report, a comprehensive panel of analytes, including biomarkers of stress, reproduction-related hormones, biomarkers of inflammation and immunity, oxidative stress biomarkers, minerals, and enzymes, was monitored daily from 3 days before farrowing until the day of farrowing in the saliva of 23 healthy sows. All the analytes with the exception of testosterone, serum amyloid-A, uric acid, calcium, and phosphorous showed an increase on the day of farrowing. Cortisol, cortisone, oxytocin, estradiol, haptoglobin, the cupric reducing antioxidant capacity, and zinc also showed increases on the day just before farrowing compared to the previous days. These results indicated that stress, inflammation, and oxidative stress could occur just the day prior to parturition in sows, as well as changes in some reproductive-related hormones. The results can contribute to improve the understanding of physiological changes preceding parturition in pigs. Whether these changes could be used as farrowing predictors should be further studied in a larger population.