In this report, a comprehensive panel of analytes including biomarkers of stress, reproduction related hormones, biomarkers of inflammation and immunity, oxidative stress biomarkers, minerals and enzymes were monitored daily from 3 days before farrowing until the day of farrowing in the saliva of 23 healthy sows. All the analytes with exception of testosterone, serum amyloid-A, uric acid, calcium and phosphorous showed an increase the day of farrowing. Cortisol, cortisone, oxytocin, estradiol, haptoglobin, the cupric reducing antioxidant capacity and zinc showed increases the day just before farrowing compared to the previous days. These results indicated that stress, inflammation and oxidative stress could occur just the day prior parturition in sows, as well as changes in some reproductive related hormones. The results can contribute to improving understanding of physiological changes preceding parturition in pigs. Whether these changes could be used as farrowing predictors should be further studied in a larger population.
Ortín-Bustillo et al. (Fri,) studied this question.