J. Anim Sci.
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J. Anim Sci. 1971. 33:1293-1297.
© 1971 American Society of Animal Science
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Determination of 5{alpha}-Androst-16-En-3-One, a Boar Taint Steroid in Pigs, with Reference to Relationships to Testosterone

R. Claus, B. Hoffmann and H. Karg1

Institut für Physiologie der Südd. Versuchs- und Forschungsanstalt für Milchwirtschaft, Technische Universität München, 8050 Freising-Weihenstephan, Germany

Abstract

The characteristic sex odor, observed in carcasses of boars (boar taint), which is seldom found in female and male-castrate animals, has been the subject of many investigations, most of them using organoleptic approaches. The subjectivity of these methods called for chemical identification of the tainting substances and their demonstration in blood, tissues and excreta. In 1968, Patterson identified 5a-androst-16-en-3-one in fatty tissue of boars as one of these substances which contributes heavily to the sex odor complex.

Echternkamp et al. (1969) and Wismer-Pedersen (1968) reported a correlation between the intensity of the odor (detected by organoleptic examination) and the activity of androgens measured by a chick comb assay. However, Gower and Ahmad (1967) could demonstrate that 5a-androst-16-en-3-one is produced by its own biosynthetic pathway different from that of the main androgen testosterone.

When measuring testosterone in peripheral plasma of pigs, Hoffmann, Claus and Karg (1970) found concentrations increasing with age, specifically in boars.

Footnotes

1 The authors thank Syntex Research, Palo Alto, for partial financial support, for providing the labelled and unlabelled 5{alpha}-androst-16-en-3-one and for revision of the manuscript.






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Copyright © 1971 by the American Society of Animal Science.