HACCP-compatible ear acupuncture using biodegradable starch-based needles mitigates transport-induced physiological and oxidative stress in calves

Vet World Vol.19 January-2026 Article - 27

Research Article

Veterinary World, 19(1): 373-381

https://doi.org/10.14202/vetworld.2026.373-381

Shogo Sato¹, Chihiro Kanno¹, Yurika Hoshi², Osamu Yamato³, Moe Ijiri⁴, Hiroshi Miura⁵, Hisaya K Ono⁶, Fumiaki Takahashi¹, and Hiroaki Kawaguchi²

1. Laboratory of Clinical Veterinary Medicine for Large Animals, Kitasato University School of Veterinary Medicine, Aomori, Japan.

2. Laboratory of Veterinary Pathology, Kitasato University School of Veterinary Medicine, Aomori, Japan.

3. Laboratory of Clinical Pathology, Joint Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Kagoshima University, Kagoshima, Japan.

4. Transboundary Animal Diseases Research Center, Joint Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Kagoshima University, Kagoshima, Japan.

5. Laboratory of Theriogenology, Kitasato University School of Veterinary Medicine, Aomori, Japan.

6. Laboratory of Zoonoses, Kitasato University School of Veterinary Medicine, Aomori, Japan.

Background and Aim: Transportation is an unavoidable management practice in cattle production and is a major source of physiological, endocrine, and oxidative stress, leading to impaired welfare, immunity, and productivity. Drug-free and food-safety-compatible interventions to alleviate transport stress remain limited. Acupuncture has shown stress-reducing effects in livestock; however, conventional metal needles are incompatible with Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) systems. Recently developed biodegradable starch-based Circular transdermal needles (CTNs) offer a novel HACCP-compliant alternative. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of ear acupuncture using starch-based CTNs on transport-induced stress responses and oxidative status in calves.

Materials and Methods: Five clinically healthy male Holstein calves (3–4 months old) were subjected to a crossover experimental design involving a short-distance transport challenge (2 h 20 min). Calves received either ear acupuncture at the Jisen acupoints using starch-based CTNs or no treatment (control), with a washout period between treatments. Heart rate and rectal temperature were recorded, and blood samples were collected prior to transport (PRE), immediately after transport (POST1), and 2 days after transport (POST2). Serum stress markers (cortisol, catecholamines, oxytocin), oxidative stress indices (derivatives of reactive oxygen metabolites [d-ROMs], biological antioxidant potential [BAP], and BAP/d-ROMs ratio), and biochemical parameters were analyzed. Data were expressed as relative changes between time points and statistically evaluated at p < 0.05.

Results: Acupuncture treatment suppressed post-transport increases in heart rate and rectal temperature compared with controls. Cortisol responses were attenuated in the acupuncture group, while oxytocin levels were consistently higher, indicating enhanced stress tolerance. Importantly, the BAP/d-ROMs ratio was significantly higher in acupuncture-treated calves at POST1 and POST2, reflecting improved oxidative balance and reduced oxidative stress. Although serum amyloid A increased slightly after acupuncture, no local inflammation or adverse reactions were observed at needle insertion sites.

Conclusion: Ear acupuncture using biodegradable starch-based CTNs effectively mitigated physiological, endocrine, and oxidative stress responses associated with short-distance transport in calves. This HACCP-compatible, drug-free approach represents a novel and practical strategy to enhance animal welfare and stress resilience in cattle production systems.

Keywords: animal welfare, antioxidant capacity, biodegradable needles, cattle transport, ear acupuncture, HACCP-compliant technology, livestock stress management, oxidative stress biomarkers, oxytocin response, physiological stress, starch-based needles, transport stress in calves.

How to cite this article: Sato S., Kanno C., Hoshi Y., Yamato O., Ijiri M., Miura H., Ono H.K., Takahashi F., Kawaguchi H. HACCP-compatible ear acupuncture using biodegradable starch-based needles mitigates transport-induced physiological and oxidative stress in calves. Vet. World, 2026;19(1):373-381.

Received: 23-08-2025 Accepted: 16-12-2025 Published online: 30-01-2026

Corresponding author: Hiroaki Kawaguchi E-mail: hirok@vmas.kitasato-u.ac.jp

DOI: 10.14202/vetworld.2026.373-381

Copyright: Sato, et al. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and indicate if changes were made. The Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication waiver (http:// creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/) applies to the data made available in this article, unless otherwise stated.