title: Substances derived from 4-ethyl octanoic acid account for primer pheromone activity for the "male effect" in goats.
abstract: A major constituent of the characteristic "goaty odor" 4-ethyl octanoic acid (4EOA) was previously shown to have no primer pheromone activity. This was also confirmed by our own bioassay system utilizing the recording technique of neural activity of the hypothalamic gonadotropin-releasing hormone pulse generator in goats. However, when the synthetic 4EOA solution was kept at room temperature for several months, primer pheromone activity appeared in the same solution. Headspace gas chromatography/mass spectrometry analysis revealed that there were several newly formed substances in addition to 4EOA samples with primer pheromone activity. These results suggest that 4EOA derived substance(s) but not 4EOA itself is(are) primer pheromone in goats.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Veterinary Ethology, The University of Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Eri
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Iwata
authors.forename: Takefumi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kikusui
authors.forename: Yukari
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Takeuchi
authors.forename: Yuji
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Mori
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002210:Caprylates / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D006041:Goats / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D010675:Pheromones / Q000032:analysis*; D012727:Sex Characteristics
chemical_list: D002210:Caprylates; D010675:Pheromones; C481384:4-ethyloctanoic acid