Design and development of innovative formulations with low environmental impact applied to swine breeding

Abstract

This thesis reports the results obtained during three years of industrial doctorate project established between Medi-nova, a private company with primary business in the agricultural, veterinary, and zootechnical sector, and the University of Parma under the supervision of Professor Ruggero Bettini. This research focused on the design and development of formulations for artificial insemination of suites at a low environmental impact. Considering that pig production is one of the leading food supply chains, it is imperative to take urgent measures to reduce antibiotic use in animal husbandry and rethink integrated agriculture on an organic basis. Moreover, the European Union based on welfare laws has called for participation in developing strategies to abolish castration on pig farms with approaches that do not change the perception and acceptability of the meat product to consumers while remaining within the parameters of animal welfare. The formulations in the present project are powder blends used for the preparation of extender solutions for the conservation of pig semen. The research was focused on antibiotic resistance, considered one of the greatest threats to health and food security globally. The study was carried out proposing substances alternative to antibiotics, exploring the concentrations and toxicity directly with the seminal cells thanks to the computerized system of analysis CASA which is a system for precise, repetitive, and automatic evaluation of the sperm parameters: motility, concentration, morphology, vitality, and acrosome reaction, as well as by studying the capability of said substances to control the bacterial growth in the diluted semen. Antibacterial substances such as sulphonamides, short chain lipopeptides, and enzymes were explored. The obtained results allowed to propose a new product realized under the concepts of pharmaceutical development. The tests of accelerated stability were carried out, and the industrialization of the product is in progress.