title: Effect of dietary chicory on boar taint.
abstract: Following preliminary screening and feeding trials on farms supplying a commercial abattoir, 360 entire male pigs were used to evaluate the effects of different percentages of chicory (Cichorium intybus L.) on levels of boar taint compounds and sensory aspects in backfat. Pigs were fed 0, 3, 6 or 9% chicory in the diet, 30 pigs being sampled at 3 different times: initially to measure basal levels of skatole and androstenone and after 1 and 2 weeks on the test diets. Cooked samples of backfat were presented to a trained sensory panel for "sniff" tests. Chicory fed at 9% for 2 weeks reduced skatole levels significantly (P<0.001), with 0.55 of pigs below 0.05 μg/g, typical of levels in castrated males. Abnormal odour scores were significantly lower for pigs in this group compared with 0% pigs (P<0.001), however, androstenone concentration was significantly higher in this group after the 2 week feeding period (P<0.005). Thus, feeding 9% chicory for 2 weeks was effective in reducing backfat skatole concentrations and abnormal odour scores of cooked fat but not androstenone concentration.
authors.affiliation: Division of Farm Animal Science, University of Bristol, School of Clinical Veterinary Science, Langford, Bristol BS40 5DU, UK. dario.zammerini@irta.cat
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Zammerini
authors.forename: J D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Wood
authors.forename: F M
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Whittington
authors.forename: G R
authors.initials: GR
authors.lastname: Nute
authors.forename: S I
authors.initials: SI
authors.lastname: Hughes
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hazzledine
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Matthews
mesh_terms: D000003:Abattoirs; D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000378:metabolism*; D000736:Androstenes / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D018651:Cichorium intybus; D004032:Diet; D004041:Dietary Fats / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008460:Meat / Q000032:analysis*; D028321:Plant Preparations; D018517:Plant Roots; D012862:Skatole / Q000378:metabolism*; D013552:Swine
chemical_list: D000736:Androstenes; D004041:Dietary Fats; D028321:Plant Preparations; D012862:Skatole