P. Walstra et al., An international study on the importance of androstenone and skatole for boar taint: levels of androstenone and skatole by country and season, LIVEST PROD, 62(1), 1999, pp. 15-28
Fat samples from 43,13 entire males taken from six European countries were
measured for androstenone and skatole using rapid ELISA and colourimetric m
ethods, respectively. The samples were collected during summer (replicate I
) and during the following winter period (replicate 2). A sub-population of
over 400 samples was further measured for androstenone and skatole using l
aboratory methods. Far skatole, there were only small differences between r
apid and laboratory measurements; therefore, the rapid measurements were us
ed throughout. Rapid measurements of androstenone could not be used because
of large differences with the laboratory measurements in replicate 2. Ther
efore, the rapid values of androstenone for the whole population were corre
cted based on the laboratory ELISA measurements. Mean skatole concentration
differed between replicates, but there was no overall difference for andro
stenone. Significant country by replicate interactions were observed for bo
th androstenone and skatole. Skatole levels were higher in replicate I than
replicate 2 for the United Kingdom (0.15 vs. 0.11 mu g/g), Sweden (0.13 vs
. 0.10 mu g/g) and the Netherlands (0.19 vs. 0.16 mu g/g) whereas they did
not differ between replicates for the other countries (Denmark, France and
Spain). Androstenone levels were higher in replicate 2 than replicate 1 onl
y for the Netherlands (0.69 vs. 0.86 mu g/g), while the reverse was found i
n the United Kingdom (0.91 vs. 0.72 mu g/g). Overall, the correlation coeff
icient between androstenone and skatole was 0.30. Apart from the interactio
n between countries and replicates, various countries within replicates dif
fered for mean androstenone and skatole concentrations due to the different
frequency distributions for both. Overall, the United Kingdom (0.81 and 0.
54 mu g/g), France (0.80 and 0.53 mu g/g) and the Netherlands (0.79 and 0.5
3 mu g/g) had the lowest mean and median concentrations for androstenone, w
hereas Sweden (1.22 and 0.82 mu g/g) and Spain (1.27 and 0.85 mu g/g) had t
he highest. The lowest mean concentration for skatole was found in Denmark
(0.10 mu g/g), while it was highest in the Netherlands (0.17 mu g/g) and Sp
ain (0.17 mu g/g). Androstenone and skatole concentrations increased with i
ncreasing carcass weight and decreased with increasing lean meat percentage
. However. the correlation coefficients were very low; about 0.10 for carca
ss weight and -0.15 for lean meat percentage. Overall, more than 60% of the
entire males had androstenone levels above 0.5 mu g/g and about 30% had le
vels above 1.0 mu g/g For skatole, 15% of the entire males had levels above
0.2 mu g/g and more than 10% had levels above 0.25 mu g/g, but there was a
large variation between countries. In the Netherlands and Spain, about 20%
of the entire males had skatole levels above 0.25 mu g/g, while this was t
ower than 2% in Denmark. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved
.