Abstract
Boar taint is due to androstenone and skatole (3-methyl-indole) accumulation in fat tissues. During a study to investigate the effect of immunocastration on fattening pigs, an outbreak of acute dysentery occurred caused by Lawsonia intracellularis and Brachyspira hyodysenteriae and resulted in cachexia and high mortality. Low androstenone levels in the immunocastrates (0.25 ± 0.04 μg/g liquid fat) suggested that the immunocastration had been effective, but unusually high skatole concentrations in fat tissues were found not only in entire males, but also in surgical castrates and immunocastrates (0.22 ± 0.15, 0.14 ± 0.08 and 0.18 ± 0.14 μg/g liquid fat, respectively). The findings suggest that boar taint can arise in cases of intestinal infections, even in castrated pigs.
Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Publication types
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Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
MeSH terms
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Adipose Tissue / metabolism*
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Androsterone / metabolism
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Animals
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Brachyspira hyodysenteriae / isolation & purification
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Cachexia / microbiology
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Cachexia / mortality
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Cachexia / veterinary
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Colony Count, Microbial / veterinary
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Desulfovibrionaceae Infections / metabolism
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Desulfovibrionaceae Infections / microbiology
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Desulfovibrionaceae Infections / mortality
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Desulfovibrionaceae Infections / veterinary
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Dysentery / complications
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Dysentery / metabolism
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Dysentery / microbiology
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Dysentery / veterinary*
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Feces / microbiology
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Gram-Negative Bacterial Infections / metabolism
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Gram-Negative Bacterial Infections / microbiology
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Gram-Negative Bacterial Infections / mortality
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Gram-Negative Bacterial Infections / veterinary
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Lawsonia Bacteria / isolation & purification
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Male
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Meat / analysis*
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Orchiectomy / methods*
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Orchiectomy / veterinary
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Polymerase Chain Reaction / veterinary
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Skatole / metabolism*
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Swine
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Swine Diseases / metabolism*
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Swine Diseases / microbiology
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Swine Diseases / mortality