The use of phytoextracts has been proposed as a method to improve animal welfare, also in pigs, by reducing stress and anxiety and improving performances. ) essential oil (LaEO) is an interesting calming phytoextract that could be administered by inhalation for prolonged periods of time to help pigs coping with on-farm conditions. The aim of this study was to assess the effects of daily inhalation of vaporized LaEO on pigs' welfare and health indicators, and nasal microbiota, trying to understand whether this phytoextract represents a feasible tool to improve animal welfare under intensive farming conditions. Eighty-four crossbred barrows were randomly divided into 3 experimental groups: control (C); lavender (L): 3 vaporization sessions of 10 min each of a custom made 1% solution of LaEO; sham (S): same vaporization sessions of L group but only using the solution vehicle. Experimental readouts included growth parameters, behavioural traits, tail and skin lesions, hair steroids and nasal microbiota. L group animals did not show altered growth performance and seemed calmer (increased recumbency time), with decreased amount of skin lesions also associated with lower severity class for tail lesions. They also showed decreased CORT/DHEA ratio, potentially suggesting a beneficial effect of LaEO. Inhalation of LaEO significantly affected the nasal pig microbiome by reducing its diversity. Overall, the study suggests how inhalation of Lavender essential oil may be capable of improving welfare in growing pigs, yet it is pivotal to consider the microbial modulatory capabilities of essential oils before exploiting them on larger scale.

中文翻译：

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薰衣草精油（L. angustifolia）的环境雾化能否改善生长猪的福利并调节鼻腔微生物群？

植物提取物的使用已被提议作为一种通过减少压力和焦虑并提高生产性能来改善动物福利的方法，也适用于猪。 ）精油 (LaEO) 是一种有趣的镇静植物提取物，可以通过长时间吸入来帮助猪应对农场条件。本研究的目的是评估每日吸入汽化 LaEO 对猪的福利和健康指标以及鼻腔微生物群的影响，试图了解这种植物提取物是否是在集约化养殖条件下改善动物福利的可行工具。 84只杂交阉猪随机分为3个实验组：对照组（C）；薰衣草 (L)：定制 1% LaEO 溶液，进行 3 次汽化，每次 10 分钟；假手术（S）：与 L 组相同的汽化过程，但仅使用溶液载体。实验读数包括生长参数、行为特征、尾巴和皮肤损伤、毛发类固醇和鼻腔微生物群。 L组动物没有表现出生长性能改变，并且看起来更平静（躺卧时间增加），皮损数量减少也与尾部病变严重程度较低相关。他们还显示 CORT/DHEA 比率降低，这可能表明 LaEO 具有有益作用。吸入 LaEO 会降低猪鼻腔微生物群的多样性，从而显着影响其微生物群。总体而言，该研究表明吸入薰衣草精油可能能够改善生长猪的福利，但在大规模利用精油之前考虑精油的微生物调节能力至关重要。