ArticleBMC veterinary research2025
Assessing salivary cortisol and testosterone as non-invasive biomarkers for GnRH-immunocastration efficiency in heavy pigs.
Article in BMC veterinary research, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
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9 authors.
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Abstract
backgroundEfforts to enhance animal welfare have led to the investigation of alternative methods of performing surgical castration on young pigs that induce stress and anxiety. This study was conducted to establish the efficacy of immunocastration in heavy pigs, with non-invasive diagnostic indicators being salivary cortisol and testosterone levels.
resultsAt 225 days, a significant difference was noted in the cortisol levels of pigs in the treatment groups, with the immune-castrated (IC) recording higher levels than the surgically castrated (SC) animals. Furthermore, 196-day and 225-day-old IC pigs had remarkably elevated testosterone amounts. The changes that were seen to be significant after immunocastration indicate that the use of salivary tests can be a good way of evaluating how effective this alternative method is. Among SC pigs, a significant positive relationship was found between salivary cortisol and salivary testosterone concentrations at 225, 240, and 268 days. Moreover, no association was observed in IC animals. These findings signal that the hormonal levels and their interactions are related to different physiological reactions of pigs to immunological and surgical castration.
conclusionsThe results underline the significance of salivary cortisol and testosterone as stress and hormonal balance indicators in heavy pigs with immunocastration. This study provides insights into the complex hormonal reactions to stress post-castration and emphasizes the need for further research to enhance animal welfare practices. Overall, salivary testing offers a practical approach to evaluating immunocastration efficacy and monitoring pig health and well-being.
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