USE OF SURFACTANTS IN CATTLE AND PIGS

Abstract

Many questions have been raised about the protein-surfactant interconnection. Surfactant-protein interconnections are very common in the field of veterinary medicine, animal husbandry, among others. Certainly, several aspects of this interconnection have been studied, such as the influence of the state of surfactant aggregation (monomer, premicellar aggregate, micelle and liposome) on the protein structure, the properties of the surfactant-protein system, the characterization of the interconnection sites on the protein surface, the identification of intermediate protein conformations, etc. The interconnection of different types of protein with the different species of surfactant can offer several information for the research of biochemical and biophysical systems, such as the structure-activity relationship of proteins as well as the mechanism of interaction between proteins and amphiphilic molecules. Its use for the treatment of respiratory and fetal diseases in cattle and pigs is very important for the well-being of herds, but little discussed when compared to the human medical literature. Thus, it is expected to contribute to the dissemination of this topic and increase its usability.