Zovawk is newly identified breed of pig of Mizoram approved by breed registration committee of Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), New Delhi. This study was designed to provide maximum number of morphometrical parameters of skull and some valuable information on clinically important parameters of Zovawk. The skull of the Zovawk was dolichocephalic according to the cephalic index (53.56±0.11). The supraorbital foramina distance, infraorbital foramina distance, skull length, skull width, cranial length and nasal length of the Zovawk were 3.49±0.01 cm, 6.55±0.01 cm, 28.26±0.03 cm, 15.11±0.26 cm, 13.17±0.04 cm and 13.79±0.02 cm, respectively. The orbital margins were found to be incomplete with bilateral variation among the orbits of both the sides. The distance from the process of alveolar socket of canine tooth to the infraorbital canal and from the latter to the root of the fourth upper premolar alveolar tooth directly ventral to it was 4.77±0.04 cm and 1.20±0.01 cm, respectively in Zovawk. The data are of clinical importance as a guide for tracking the infra-orbital nerve, and necessary for its desensitization during the manipulations in the skin of the upper lip, nostril and face at the level of the foramen. The distance between the lateral end of the alveolus of the third incisor tooth to the mental foramen was 3.57±0.04 cm in Zovawk, which is an important landmark for achieving the location of the mental nerve for the regional nerve block Zovawk. The length and height of the mandible were 25.02±0.09 cm and 10.54±0.07 cm, respectively in Zovawk. The morphometric measurements of the skull and applied anatomy of the head region of the Zovawk provide an important baseline data for further research in the field of applied anatomy.

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In this study, the comparative serum proteome profile of Day 5, 12 and 16 of gestation, representing three early embryonic events, namely formation, elongation and implantation of blastocysts, and non-pregnant control were explored by a label-free quantitation-based mass spectrometric approach to identify early pregnancy biomarkers in pigs. A total of 131 proteins were identified with respect to different groups, out of which 105 were found to be differentially expressed proteins (DEPs). Among the DEPs, 54 and 66 proteins were found to be up and downregulated respectively in early pregnancy groups (fold change >2) and the maximum number of upregulated proteins was observed in the Day 12 pregnancy stage. Functional classification and pathway analysis of the DEPs revealed involvement of most of the proteins in complement and coagulation cascades, metabolic processes and immune and inflammatory responses. Proteins such as glutathione peroxidise (GPX), pregnancy zone protein (PZP), thrombospondin-1 (THBS1), α-1-antitrypsin (AAT) and mannose-binding lectin C (MBLC) were differentially expressed during early pregnancy and actively involved in different pregnancy-related activities. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on comparative serum protein profiling of different early pregnancy stages in pigs and our results provide a set of proteins that can be used as potential biomarkers for early pregnancy diagnosis in pigs.

Background: Probiotics and zinc are commonly used and beneficial in pig production. This work aimed to assess the effects of probiotic and zinc on the mucosal cells of the small intestine in respect to digestive capacity and immunity in pre and post-weaned piglets. Materials and methods: Eighteen LWY piglets were divided equally into control and treatment groups. The piglets were maintained in standard management conditions and were weaned at 28 days of age. The treatment group of piglets fed a mixture of probiotics orally @ 1.25 x 10 9 CFU/day and zinc @ 2000 ppm/day from birth to 10 days of age. At three different age-groups viz. day 20 (pre-weaning) and, day 30 and day 60 (post-weaning), the animals were sacrificed. For histomorphology, the tissue samples were processed and stained with Mayer's hematoxylin and eosin for routine study, combined PAS-Alcian blue for mucopolysaccharides and Masson-Hamperl argentaffin technique for argentaffin cells. The stained slides were observed under the microscope. The samples were processed as per the standard procedure for scanning and transmission electron microscopy. The statistical analysis of the data using the appropriate statistical tests was also conducted. Results: The mucosal epithelium of villi and crypts were lined by enterocytes, goblet cells, argentaffin cells, microfold (M-cell) cells, tuft cells and intraepithelial lymphocytes (IEL). The multipotent stem cells were located at the crypt base. The length of the enterocyte microvilli was significantly longer (P<0.05) in the treatment group of piglets. The number of different types of goblet cells and argentaffin cells was more in treated piglets irrespective of segments of intestine and age. The IEL was located in apical, nuclear and basal positions in the lining epithelium of both villus tip and base with their significant increased in the treatment group of piglets. The TEM revealed the frequent occurrence of tuft cells in the lining mucosa of the small intestine in treated piglets. Conclusions: Dietary supplementation of probiotic and zinc induced the number of different mucosal cells of villi and crypts in the small intestine that might suggest the greater absorptive capacity of nutrients and effective immunity in critical pre and post-weaned piglets.

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