title: Elevated fat skatole levels in immunocastrated, surgically castrated and entire male pigs with acute dysentery.
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.
authors.affiliation: Agricultural Institute of Slovenia, Hacquetova ul. 17, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia. martin.skrlep@kis.si
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Skrlep
authors.forename: Nina
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Batorek
authors.forename: Michel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bonneau
authors.forename: Gregor
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Fazarinc
authors.forename: Blaž
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Segula
authors.forename: Marjeta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Candek-Potokar
mesh_terms: D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000378:metabolism*; D000738:Androsterone / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D017401:Brachyspira hyodysenteriae / Q000302:isolation & purification; D002100:Cachexia / Q000382:microbiology / Q000401:mortality / Q000662:veterinary; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial / Q000662:veterinary; D045824:Desulfovibrionaceae Infections / Q000378:metabolism / Q000382:microbiology / Q000401:mortality / Q000662:veterinary; D004403:Dysentery / Q000150:complications / Q000378:metabolism / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology; D016905:Gram-Negative Bacterial Infections / Q000378:metabolism / Q000382:microbiology / Q000401:mortality / Q000662:veterinary; D020639:Lawsonia Bacteria / Q000302:isolation & purification; D008297:Male; D008460:Meat / Q000032:analysis*; D009919:Orchiectomy / Q000379:methods* / Q000662:veterinary; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000662:veterinary; D012862:Skatole / Q000378:metabolism*; D013552:Swine; D013553:Swine Diseases / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000401:mortality
chemical_list: D012862:Skatole; D000738:Androsterone