Monitoring androstenone levels in boars by direct immunochemical analysis of serum samples

The possibility of using blood samples for screening high levels of boar taint steroid androstenone (5α-androst-16-en-3-one) was studied both in living animals at the farm and carcasses at the slaughterhouse. The steroid was measured from boar serum and fat samples with a simple time-resolved fluoroimmunoassay. Fat samples contained androstenone in the range of 90-7500 ng/g (n=214), and 74.8% of the samples exhibited fat androstenone levels above 500 ng/g. Androstenone concentrations in blood samples were measured by direct serum assay and ranged up to 215 ng/ml (n=214). The levels of androstenone were correlated (r=0.78-0.88, P<0.001) between the serum and fat samples obtained at slaughter and serum samples taken at the farm 7-11 days before slaughter. A direct serum analysis seems to give a reliable indication of the androstenone level in fat and it can also be used in the screening of living animals.