The role of human–pig interactions in modulating gut microbiota, stress, and performance
The quality of human handling influenced stress physiology, performance, and gut microbiota in pigs. Positive handling reduced cortisol levels, improved growth, and promoted microbial diversity, while negative handling was linked to decreased performance and reduced microbial network complexity. These results highlight the potential of positive interactions to enhance welfare and productivity, and identify specific bacterial genera as potential biomarkers differentiating negative and positive handling conditions.
Authors
- Christopher Reyes Araya
- Javiera Calderón-Amor (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4183-2260)
- Sergio A. Guzmán-Pino (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1763-5630)
- Daniela Siel (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7735-1218)
- Rocío Palomo (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4719-4896)
- José M. Yáñez (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6612-4087)
- Daniel Cartes (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5527-993X)
- Daniela Luna
- Agustin Piña-Elgueda (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1862-217X)
- Florencia Correa‐Fiz (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9459-5871)
- Nicolás Galarce (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4288-898X)
- Lucas Venegas (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3668-5681)
- Maria Camila Ceballos (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4520-2904)
Institutions
- Universidad Mayor (CL)
- Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (ES)
- Austral University of Chile (CL)
- University of Calgary (CA)
- Centre de Recerca en Sanitat Animal (ES)
- University of Chile (CL)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Porcine Health Management
- Published
- 2025-10-23
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1186/s40813-025-00465-2
- Primary Topic
- Animal Behavior and Welfare Studies
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00
Funders
- Agencia Nacional de Investigación y Desarrollo