Skin Bacteriome and its Resistance to Antibiotics in Free Range Pigs

The cutaneous microbiome and also its resistance to antibiotics is exposed to change, depending on different habitat factors. This research investigates the composition of cutaneous microflora and its antibiotic resistance in pigs raised on free range farms (mix breed swine, from low input small farms). Swabs were collected from the skin surface and subjected to classical microbiological methods (simple broth and nutrient agar cultivation, colony isolation and biochemical API identification). The antibacterial resistance to gentamicin, streptomycin, oxitetracycline, tylosin, amoxacillin-clavulanic acid, marbofloxacin, tulatromycin, cefotaxime and doxycycline was estimated by Kirby Bauer method and multiple antibiotic resistance (MAR) index was calculated. Strains from Staphylococcus (sciuri and warnerii), Shigella spp., Kytococcus sedentarius, Salmonella spp. and Citrobacter freundii genera and species were identified in the collected samples. The most resistant was a S. warnerii strain, but the MAR index was high (0.33) in 50% of the strains. The most efficient antibiotic was cefotaxime and the least efficient was oxitetracycline. The results indicated the presence of antibiotic resistant ubiquitous and pathogenic strains in the investigated pigs which need caution, since they could express pathogenicity under appropriate conditions which low input farming system could provide

Bactericidal Capacity of Serum and Enhancement of Specific Cell-Mediated Immunity Subsequent to Hipopphae Rhamnoides Treatment in Pigs

Low-input farming subject’s swine to increased immune stress and subsequent infectious risk, which could be prevented by phytotherapy. Hypopphae rhamnoides is a widespread shrub in both Europe and Asia. The research aimed at investigating the influence of a whole fruit extract on antibacterial effect of the serum in extensively raised, two batches, sea buckthorn in vivo treated/untreated pigs. Scavenging effect over DPPH was used to estimate the antioxidant potential of the sea buckthorn commercial syrup (Steaua Divina©). Minimal inhibiting (MIC) and minimal bactericidal (MBC) capacity of the serum were tested and spectrophotometrically measured against Shigella spp., Kitococcus sedentarius, Staphylococcus werneri and Staphylococcus sciuri. The antioxidant activity of the syrup was intermediate (54.65 %). Sera from treated pigs had bactericidal and bacteriostatic effect on Shigella spp. and S. sciuri, respectively. Shigella spp. growth was inhibited at serum dilutions of ½-1/32 while much lower ½-1/4 dilutions were active against S. sciuri. In untreated pigs, the sera were inefficient in either stopping or totally inhibiting bacterial growth. The MBC and MIC values obtained for the sera of pigs treated with Hippophae rhamnoides syrup supported the positive effect of the in vivo treatment inducive of potential protection against bacterial diseases