Male Reproductive Organ Weight: Criteria for Detection of Androstenone-Positive Carcasses in Immunocastrated and Entire Male Pigs
Immunocastration and rearing of entire males (EMs) are sustainable alternatives to surgical castration. However, these animal carcasses have variable risk of boar taint and should be identified at the slaughter line. We aimed to identify a simple and reliable indicator of androstenone-related boar t...
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MDPI AG
2023-06-01
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| Series: | Animals |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/13/12/2042 |
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| author | Gregor Fazarinc Nina Batorek-Lukač Martin Škrlep Klavdija Poklukar Alice Van den Broeke Kevin Kress Etienne Labussière Volker Stefanski Milka Vrecl Marjeta Čandek-Potokar |
| author_facet | Gregor Fazarinc Nina Batorek-Lukač Martin Škrlep Klavdija Poklukar Alice Van den Broeke Kevin Kress Etienne Labussière Volker Stefanski Milka Vrecl Marjeta Čandek-Potokar |
| author_sort | Gregor Fazarinc |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Immunocastration and rearing of entire males (EMs) are sustainable alternatives to surgical castration. However, these animal carcasses have variable risk of boar taint and should be identified at the slaughter line. We aimed to identify a simple and reliable indicator of androstenone-related boar taint by evaluating pelvic urogenital tract weight as a marker of boar-taint animals at the slaughter line. The pelvic urogenital tract, testes, and accessory sex glands of EMs and immunocastrates (ICs) were collected, dissected, and weighed, before colorimetric measurements of testicular tissue. Additionally, GnRH antibody titers and testosterone, androstenone, and skatole levels were determined. Our results showed that 81.8% of EMs had androstenone levels above the risk threshold (>0.5 µg/g fat; EM/A<sup>high</sup> subgroup), whereas in ICs, the C/A<sup>high</sup> subgroup with androstenone >0.5 µg/g fat accounted for only 4.3%. Androstenone levels correlated negatively with GnRH antibody titers and positively with testosterone levels and reproductive organ weights. Identification of ICs with androstenone levels above the threshold (IC/A<sup>high</sup> subgroup) may be achieved via testes or pelvic urogenital tract weight measurements. However, in EMs, the latter is a more reliable parameter. A principal component analysis based on these variables and hierarchical clustering also distinguished the A<sup>high</sup> from the A<sup>low</sup> subgroup, irrespective of IC/EM. The findings highlight the possible use of pelvic urogenital tract weight along with testes weight as a simple, reliable, and efficient morphometric indicator for identifying androstenone-positive carcasses of different sex categories. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T02:50:25Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-24e31681c41a4c46b98041d785c56087 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2076-2615 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T02:50:25Z |
| publishDate | 2023-06-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Animals |
| spelling | doaj.art-24e31681c41a4c46b98041d785c560872023-11-18T08:59:46ZengMDPI AGAnimals2076-26152023-06-011312204210.3390/ani13122042Male Reproductive Organ Weight: Criteria for Detection of Androstenone-Positive Carcasses in Immunocastrated and Entire Male PigsGregor Fazarinc0Nina Batorek-Lukač1Martin Škrlep2Klavdija Poklukar3Alice Van den Broeke4Kevin Kress5Etienne Labussière6Volker Stefanski7Milka Vrecl8Marjeta Čandek-Potokar9Veterinary Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Gerbičeva ulica 60, 1000 Ljubljana, SloveniaAgricultural Institute of Slovenia, Hacquetova ulica 17, 1000 Ljubljana, SloveniaAgricultural Institute of Slovenia, Hacquetova ulica 17, 1000 Ljubljana, SloveniaAgricultural Institute of Slovenia, Hacquetova ulica 17, 1000 Ljubljana, SloveniaILVO (Flanders Research Institute for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food), Scheldeweg 68, 9090 Melle, BelgiumDepartment of Behavioral Physiology of Livestock, Institute of Animal Science, University of Hohenheim, Garbenstraße 17, 70599 Stuttgart, GermanyPEGASE, INRAE, Institut Agro, 35590 Saint-Gilles, FranceDepartment of Behavioral Physiology of Livestock, Institute of Animal Science, University of Hohenheim, Garbenstraße 17, 70599 Stuttgart, GermanyVeterinary Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Gerbičeva ulica 60, 1000 Ljubljana, SloveniaAgricultural Institute of Slovenia, Hacquetova ulica 17, 1000 Ljubljana, SloveniaImmunocastration and rearing of entire males (EMs) are sustainable alternatives to surgical castration. However, these animal carcasses have variable risk of boar taint and should be identified at the slaughter line. We aimed to identify a simple and reliable indicator of androstenone-related boar taint by evaluating pelvic urogenital tract weight as a marker of boar-taint animals at the slaughter line. The pelvic urogenital tract, testes, and accessory sex glands of EMs and immunocastrates (ICs) were collected, dissected, and weighed, before colorimetric measurements of testicular tissue. Additionally, GnRH antibody titers and testosterone, androstenone, and skatole levels were determined. Our results showed that 81.8% of EMs had androstenone levels above the risk threshold (>0.5 µg/g fat; EM/A<sup>high</sup> subgroup), whereas in ICs, the C/A<sup>high</sup> subgroup with androstenone >0.5 µg/g fat accounted for only 4.3%. Androstenone levels correlated negatively with GnRH antibody titers and positively with testosterone levels and reproductive organ weights. Identification of ICs with androstenone levels above the threshold (IC/A<sup>high</sup> subgroup) may be achieved via testes or pelvic urogenital tract weight measurements. However, in EMs, the latter is a more reliable parameter. A principal component analysis based on these variables and hierarchical clustering also distinguished the A<sup>high</sup> from the A<sup>low</sup> subgroup, irrespective of IC/EM. The findings highlight the possible use of pelvic urogenital tract weight along with testes weight as a simple, reliable, and efficient morphometric indicator for identifying androstenone-positive carcasses of different sex categories.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/13/12/2042boar taintmorphometric indicatorsimmunocastrationentire males |
| spellingShingle | Gregor Fazarinc Nina Batorek-Lukač Martin Škrlep Klavdija Poklukar Alice Van den Broeke Kevin Kress Etienne Labussière Volker Stefanski Milka Vrecl Marjeta Čandek-Potokar Male Reproductive Organ Weight: Criteria for Detection of Androstenone-Positive Carcasses in Immunocastrated and Entire Male Pigs Animals boar taint morphometric indicators immunocastration entire males |
| title | Male Reproductive Organ Weight: Criteria for Detection of Androstenone-Positive Carcasses in Immunocastrated and Entire Male Pigs |
| title_full | Male Reproductive Organ Weight: Criteria for Detection of Androstenone-Positive Carcasses in Immunocastrated and Entire Male Pigs |
| title_fullStr | Male Reproductive Organ Weight: Criteria for Detection of Androstenone-Positive Carcasses in Immunocastrated and Entire Male Pigs |
| title_full_unstemmed | Male Reproductive Organ Weight: Criteria for Detection of Androstenone-Positive Carcasses in Immunocastrated and Entire Male Pigs |
| title_short | Male Reproductive Organ Weight: Criteria for Detection of Androstenone-Positive Carcasses in Immunocastrated and Entire Male Pigs |
| title_sort | male reproductive organ weight criteria for detection of androstenone positive carcasses in immunocastrated and entire male pigs |
| topic | boar taint morphometric indicators immunocastration entire males |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/13/12/2042 |
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