The aim of the present study was to investigate the response to physical exercise of some ocular physiological variables (ocular temperature and intraocular pressure) in horses performing a jumping course in the morning (a.m.) or in the afternoon hours (p.m.), before and after the exercise, in correlation with the rectal temperature. Data collection was carried out on 14 clinical healthy Italian saddle horses. All horses were trained from 9:00 to 10:00 a.m. and from 19:00 to 20:00 p.m. according to a specific training program. Ocular temperature (OT), rectal temperature (RT) and intraocular pressure (IOP) were determined. Statistical analysis showed no differences between the results for the left and the right eyes. The application of two-way repeated-measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) showed a statistically significant effect of time (before vs. after) on IOP (p = 0.0001). RT and OT were statistically influenced by time of day and by experimental conditions (a.m. vs. p.m.) (p = 0.0001). Bland–Altman (B-A) testing showed an agreement between the values of RT and OT. Our results showed a correlation between increased body temperatures and IOP variations during exercise, so they can probably be considered indicators of athletic horses’ physical fitness during exercise.

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The current study compared the faecal microbiota composition of two pig breeds (autochthonous vs. commercial) to understand what happens after the integration of liquid whey in the diet and what the role of the host genetic is. The trial was conducted for 60 days, and the faecal microbiota composition was investigated at three time points, T0, T1 (after 30 days) and T2 (after 60 days) in 30 female pigs (20 commercial crossbred and 10 Nero Siciliano pigs). The animals were divided into four groups (two control and two treatment groups). Generally, in both breeds, Firmicutes (51%) and Bacteroidota (36%) were the most abundant phylum whereas Prevotella, Treponema and Lactobacillus were the most abundant genera. The two breeds have a different reaction to a liquid whey diet. In fact, as shown by PERMANOVA analysis, the liquid whey significantly (p < 0.001) affects the microbiota composition of crossbreeds while not having an effect on the microbiota of the Nero Siciliano. Despite this, in both breeds Bifidobacterium and Ruminococcus have been positively influenced by liquid whey and they promote intestinal health, improve immunity, increase performance, and feed efficiency. In conclusion, the integration of liquid whey had a different effect on the Nero Siciliano and crossbred pig breeds, emphasizing the importance of the host genetic profile in determining the faecal bacterial composition.

The aim of our study was to analyze circadian rhythm of the hematological profile of horses housed in a loose box and paddock during the different seasons (spring, summer, autumn, and winter). Blood samples were performed every 4 h for 48 consecutive hours. Red blood cells (RBCs), hemoglobin (HGB), hematocrit (HCT), white blood cells (WBCs), platelets (PLTs), and leukocyte subpopulations (neutrophils, basophils, eosinophils, lymphocytes, and monocytes) were analyzed, and, at the same time, environmental conditions were recorded. A statistically significant effect of housing conditions (p < 0.0001) was observed on all hematological values except for WBC during winter and for neutrophils (p < 0.0001) during spring and autumn. A statistically significant effect of season (p < 0.0001) was found for RBC, HCT, and PLT and for all leukocyte cells (p < 0.0001) except for basophils. The single Cosinor method revealed a daily rhythm of hematological parameters during spring in both groups, and a daily rhythm for lymphocytes and neutrophils was observed during spring and summer in horses kept in a loose box and during winter in horses housed in a paddock. Our results revealed that the response of the immune system is regulated by circadian physiology. Knowledge of the periodic temporal structure of mammals should be considered when evaluating animals’ adaptation to temporizations imposed by the environment.