Why is this research important for Alberta ag?
Weaning challenges the pork industry because piglets experience diarrhea, sudden death, or impaired growth. Numerous stressors and infectious cause post-weaning diarrhea. These factors result in the "leaky gut syndrome" in which invasion of intestinal bacteria/toxins and infiltration of leukocytes (white cells) trigger both sepsis and the release of inflammatory factors, including proteases.
Current treatments with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatories and antibiotics are partially effective, and the use of antibiotics is questionable due to the generation of acquired antimicrobial-resistant bacteria. To address the need for antibiotics-free therapeutics, researchers aim to identify the relevant proteases in the gut of piglets with post-weaning infections and non-infectious diarrhea and examine the clinical efficiency of non-antimicrobial protease inhibitors that will neutralize the enzyme actions,
What benefits can producers expect from this research?
Targeting the enzymes with selective inhibitors is expected to bring a tangible alternative to antibiotics as treatments for diarrhea in pigs. As well as have positive impacts on sustaining the pork industry and swine welfare, using antibiotic-free treatments, added benefit-growth promotion, assessing the advancements of pigs with a healthy microbiome, and supports a One Health vision.
How will these research findings reach producers on-farm?
Findings will be shared through industry collaborations and pharmaceutical companies and will be shared through trade journals and producer magazines. Results will also be disseminated through peer-reviewed scientific journals.
Funded in part by the Government of Canada under the Canadian Agricultural Partnership, a federal-provincial-territorial initiative.