An efficient method for saliva collection from mature pigs to determine their enzymatic and electrolytic profiles

In this study, a novel ‘rope-assisted swab method’ for the collection of saliva samples from 45 adult pigs was established and validated. This method was efficient for harvesting 2 milliliters or more of saliva from each of the pigs for subsequent analyses within two min. The amount of α-amylase and lipase in the collected saliva samples was between 38−6,655 and 2−52 U/l, respectively. For HCO(3)(−) and electrolytes, the range was between 9−40, 15−76, 4.3−48.5 and 7−65 mM for HCO(3)(−), Na(+), K(+) and Cl(−), respectively. No significant differences in the enzymatic and electrolytic profiles were observed among sows with a high average litter size (SHA), sows with a low average litter size (SLA) and non-pregnant gilts (NPG) in this study. Our work reveals the efficiency of this collection method for mature pigs, and enzymatic and electrolytic profiling of saliva, which may be a useful reference for multiple diagnostic applications.